Merlin Alternate Ending
by Johanna8D
Summary: Basically what the title says - how Merlin could've ended instead of Arthur dying. He lives and now knows Merlin has Magic. What happens from here? A story about love, friendship, adventures and a lot of hurt/comfort (whump). No slash!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Welcome to an alternate ending to Merlin!**

 **Obviously, I didn't like that Arthur died. It was quite unnecessary. So, after rewatching all five series for the umpteenth time, I decided to write something that would make me feel better. So I changed the ending of 5x12 a little and continued from there. If you like the story, I'll make it a multi-chapter! So please review and tell me what you thought :3**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Merlin or its characters.**

* * *

"Arthur. Come on. We have to make it to the lake."

Arthur, who'd been leaning heavily against Merlin, suddenly slumpen to the ground as his knees went out, pulling the young warlock with him. "Merlin... not without the horses. We can't, it's too late. It's too late."

The horses. The stupid horses. Merlin silently cursed Morgana for scaring them away.

"No," he said, refusing to believe it, and struggled to get them to their feet.

Arthur sounded out of breath as he spoke. "All your magic, Merlin, can't save my life."

"I can," Merlin insisted, biting back tears. "I'm not going to lose you."

"Just, just hold me. Please." Arthur's voice was soft, not afraid, begging. Merlin stopped trying to get up, and listened instead. "There's something I want to say..."

"You're not going to say goodbye," Merlin interrupted, a sharp edge of warning to his voice.

"No, Merlin..." Arthur took a deep breath. "Everything you've done, I know now." The meaning behind his words struck Merlin heavily; all those days slaving away, serving Arthur and the knights without any thanks— not to mention repeatedly saving the King's life... Arthur knew, now. "For me, for Camelot," Arthur continued. "For the kingdom you helped me build..."

Merlin smiled a little. "You'd have done it without me."

"Maybe." Arthur paused briefly. "I want to say... something I've never said to you before..." He turned his head slightly and looked straight into the eyes of his friend. "Thank you." Arthur lifted a weak hand to brush the back of Merlin's head affectionatedly.

And those two words meant more to Merlin than they ever had before. It was a thank you for everything he'd done, for everything he was doing, and for being who he was. It was acceptance. But Merlin didn't get to enjoy it for very long, because at that moment, Arthur's hand dropped as his entire body went limp.

Merlin grew cold, his veins filled with ice instead of blood. "Arthur... no! Arthur! Stay with me!" Heartbeat loud in his ears, he reached down to feel for a pulse. "Arthur! Arthur. Come on." Breathlessly, he waited, listened and felt... and finally, he found it. It was weak and slow, but there was a pulse.

Merlin exhaled in relief, a tear slipping down his cheek. He had to hurry. Arthur was right; without the horses, they'd never get there in time. So Merlin squeezed out from under the King, and called for the dragon. His call was desperate, filled with anger and sorrow, and Kilgharrah must've sensed his distress, because he was there in a few moments. Merlin pressed his forehead to Arthur's, willing him to stay alive.

"Kilgharrah," the warlock said, "I would not have summoned you, if there was any other choice. I have one last favor to ask you."

Kilgharrah looked at the fallen King, and blew out a breath. "I will take you to the lake, young warlock. But be aware that after that, it is out of your hands. Destiny, must take it's course."

Merlin just nodded. The dragon gripped them tight and flew them to the island in the middle of the lake.

Gaius had spoken of the island and the ancient power it would possess. Merlin felt it the moment he touched the ground, like a shockwave coursing through his body. He blew out a breath and caught Arthur as Kilgharrah put him down.

"Good luck, old friend," the dragon's deep voice echoed through the air.

"Thank you." Merlin nodded his goodbye, before turning toward the island. "Hello?" he called out. "I have come to see the Sidhe. I need your help."

It was eerily quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from the crashing waves of the lake. A thin fog surrounded the island, making it difficult for Merlin to see.

Suddenly, glowing blue lights emerged amongst the fog, zooming around them so fast that Merlin had trouble keeping track of them. One of the larger blue bulbs fin ally came to a stop in front of him, transforming into a tiny blue creature with wings.

"What is it that you want?" the Sidhe asked in a nasally voice. His face looked smug, and Merlin recalled Gaius calling them a 'cruel race of beings'.

"My friend," Merlin gestured to where Arthur was laying on the ground, "he's hurt badly. I need your assistance in healing him. Please."

The tiny, but powerful, creature gave a cackle for a laugh. "And why would we help you?" he mused.

"I'll give you anything you ask," Merlin promised exasperatedly. "What is it that you want in return?"

The Sidhe looked him over. "What makes you think that you have anything to offer that we require?"

"My name," Merlin began, and hesitated only briefly, "as the druids call me, is Emrys."

A whisper went through the crowd of the Sidhe, and the one before him looked impressed. "Emrys," he repeated. "We have heard whispers of your great power. Why is it that you need our help to heal your... friend?"

"He was stabbed by a sword forged in a dragon's breath," Merlin explained, growing impatient. "A piece of it remains within him. Not even I can heal wounds inflicted by such ancient power. Please, will you help me?"

The Sidhe seemed to ponder this for a second, before a slug grin spread across his tiny, blue face. "We will grant your request," he started, and Merlin's heart fluttered, "but, at a price."

XXXX

When Arthur awoke, his entire body felt sore and stiff. He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, and realised that the ground beneath him wasn't the ground at all. Instead, it was soft and cushioned, much like his bed in Camelot. But, last he could remember, he was in the middle of the woods with Merlin—

It all came flooding back to him. He was stabbed by Mordred right after the Great Sorcerer defeated Morgana's army. That explained the soreness of his body, despite laying on something very soft. Merlin was taking him somewhere to save his life, and Merlin... Merlin was a sorcerer. _The_ sorcerer.

Arthur opened his eyes. The walls surrounding him were very familiar; it was his room. He was back in Camelot. Standing by his bedside were Gaius and Guinevere. His heart clenched at the sight of her. Oh, how he had missed her.

"Arthur." Gwen smiled, tears building in her eyes as she looked at him. She bent down and gently wrapped her arms around him. He carefully lifted his arm and braided it into her hair, taking in her scent once more. He thought he'd never see her again. He'd accepted his death.

"How are you feeling, sire?" Gaius asked as Gwen pulled away, and there was a smile on his face as well.

Arthur swallowed the bitter memories that awoke at the sight of him. The lies. "A little sore. Gaius... what happened?"

"How much do you remember?"

"Last thing... Morgana scared our horses away. Merlin killed her." He suddenly felt stunned at the fact he spoke of. Morgana was dead. "And then... we were walking, and I..." He frowned. "I must've passed out. It's all so blurry." Arthur looked up at Gaius expectantly.

The physician shifted awkwardly. "Well, sire... The rest, I believe, is best explained by Merlin. If you'll allow..?" He trailed off.

Arthur looked away, staring up at the roof of his bed. He couldn't make sense of how he was feeling about his servant— if Merlin even was that, still. He'd lied, a lot, and for a long time. So had Gaius. But Arthur tried to imagine his life without the both of them, and came up blank. So he nodded at the physician, and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

Guinevere smiled and squeezed his hand before she and Gaius left the room. For several minutes, Arthur was alone for the first time in a long time. He spent it pondering the fact that Mordred and Morgana were both dead. The war that seemed to have gone on for an eternity, was over. And his servant was a sorcerer. For years, there had been Magic in the heart of Camelot. Despite all of his degrees, Merlin had remained by his side, hiding who he really was. Lying to everyone. But, Merlin had also saved his life - several times through the years, he had come to realise. He had won the war for them, and defeated Morgana with a single blow. And, above it all, Merlin was his friend. He'd always been a loyal friend, and a trusted servant. Did this really change anything? Could he look past the fact that his friend was not only breaking the law, but had lied to him about it for all these years?

There was a knock on the door, and Merlin stepped inside. He looked hesitant, his postume apprehensive as he approached the bed. "You wished to see me, sire?"

Arthur studied the man before him. "So you did it, after all. You managed to save my life."

It wasn't really a question, but Merlin gave him a slow nod anyway.

"How?" Arthur asked. Merlin tilted his head, and opened his mouth hesitantly, as if he was afraid to answer. "Tell me the truth, please," he added.

Merlin nodded, tracing his fingers across a hem of the bedsheet. "I took you to the like of Avalon, and the Sidhe agreed to heal you," he said simply.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "And they agreed, just like that?"

Merlin shook his head slightly. "I- I told them who I was. I said that I am Emrys."

"And they knew of you?"

"The druids have spoken of me as Emrys long before my time," Merlin answered, avoiding his gaze.

"That you're the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth," Arthur continued. "That's what Gaius told me anyway." He thought about it for a moment, and snorted. "I never would've believed that it could be you. Feels strange to say it."

"You're telling me," Merlin mumbled, and his eyes flickered uncertainly to Arthur's. There was amusement in his eyes, and Arthur couldn't help but laugh at the strange situation. Merlin was grinning too. But the moment was fleeting, and the tension between them soon returned. Arthur didn't like it. He just wanted things to be like they were before.

 _I don't want you to change. I want you... to always... be you._

"My Lord," Merlin began, and took a deep breath, "do you want me to leave Camelot?" The words left him in a rush as he exhaled.

Arthur pressed his lips together. "You've broken the law, I don't know how many times. Not to mention that you've lied to me for all these years."

Merlin looked away again, his eyes shining. "I _am_ truly sorry, Arthur. I just, I couldn't tell you-"

"I understand," Arthur interrupted. "And I don't want you to go."

There it was. Arthur was surprised by himself. Allowing Merlin to stay meant more than just the decision. It meant accepting sorcery in Camelot. It was far beyond anything he or his father had ever allowed or even considered before. But he trusted Merlin. He knew that Merlin had only ever used his Magic for him, and for Camelot.

"T-thank you, sire," Merlin stammered, seemingly just as surprised as Arthur, and most of all relieved. Arthur wondered what he'd expected; had he thought that Arthur might still sentence him to death?

 _You'd have chopped my head off._

 _I don't know what I would've done._

"But," Arthur continued, and now it was his turn to look away as he couldn't face Merlin while saying this, "I need some space to... figure all of this out. I believe I promised you two days off. I need you to take them." He looked up, wary of Merlin's reaction.

Merlin flinched visibly at his words, and his eyes looked hurt, but he just nodded. "Of course, sire. I understand." And with a nod, he turned on his heel and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sooo happy you all seem to like story! I have great plans for it :3**

 **Thank you for all your kind reviews, they really are great motivators and inspire me to write!**

 **Here's the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: It's going to be the same one throughout the whole story... I don't own Merlin.**

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The following morning, Arthur woke up alone, for the first time in... well, _ever_ , Arthur thought. There'd always been somebody there to take care of him or look after him. These past few years, it had been Merlin.

Arthur tried to shake off the emptiness that was the lack of his servant. But at least, it made it clear to him that he'd made the right choice by letting Merlin stay.

The King got out of his bed, wincing at the movement as the wound in his side - though healed and closed up - was still painful. Getting ready on his own was always a challenge; doing it while recovering from a fatal injury seemed almost impossible. Eventually he managed to dress in a pair of brown pants and a white shirt, clasping the belt containing his sword around his waist. He did not need his armour today; Gaius had informed him that training sessions where strictly forbidden until such a time when the wound in Arthur's side didn't hurt anymore.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Guinevere stepped inside, dressed in a beautiful purple dress. Arthur felt his face light up at the sight of her.

"Hi," he said in a low voice.

She smiled brightly back at him. "Oh, Arthur. I'm so glad that you're okay."

"Me too," Arthur breathed. "I was worried, we didn't know what happened to you after the battle..."

Gwen shook her head slightly. "I was _fine_ , Arthur." She looked down at her hand, which was tightly clenched around something. She took Arthur's hand and placed the object in his palm. It was the royal seal.

"It means a lot that you'd trust me with this," Gwen said, her voice cracking a little, "but please, Arthur... don't ever do that again." Her eyes glistened as she looked up at him.

Arthur leaned down slowly and gently pressed his lips to hers. "I'll try my best," he promised her.

Gwen suddenly pulled back slightly, frowning as she studied her husband. "Did you get ready on your own today?"

Arthur looked down at himself, and then up again, confused. "How did you know that?"

"You always put the belt on too loose," she explained as she adjusted it. "It needs to be tighter so that, if you run, it won't fall down." Gwen smiled teasingly and ruffled his hair. "Also, you haven't combed your hair."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, feigning taking offense. "Perhaps I didn't have time to before you showed up!" He grinned at her.

She smiled back at him for a moment, and then her expression grew somber. "I'm glad you didn't banish Merlin," she said softly as she leaned against his chest, looking up at him with those doe eyes. "I am aware that he saved not only _your_ life, but all of ours. I know who he is."

Arthur nodded a little, looking down at her with thoughtful eyes. "I had no idea what the right decision was, so I made the one that was right for me." He sighed, staring into the distance. "Who knows if it was the right one for my people."

"I believe it was, Arthur," Gwen said, her voice full of conviction. "Merlin has showed that Magic does not always have to be evil, but can be used to do really good as well. Hasn't he?"

Arthur seemed to ponder this for a moment, and then he looked down at his Queen again. "You're right, of course, Guinevere." He gave her a small smile. "But, I am not yet ready to openly let Magic into this kingdom."

Gwen shook her head slightly. "And you don't have to, Arthur. All that Merlin wants is what everybody wants; acceptance."

XXXX

Merlin was sitting on the rickety old staircase of the shelf that Gaius had fallen from the very first day that they met. He was leaning his face against his palms, squeezing his eyes shut. Having the day off, there was so little to do, yet so many thoughts bouncing around his head.

His mind kept flashing through memories of the events of the past few days. Defeating the army at the great battle and watching Mordred drive the sword through Arthur; telling Arthur that he was a sorcerer; sending his own sword into Morgana and finally ridding the Earth of her; and finally, the moment he thought that Arthur had died.

Merlin tried to shake the last memory off. Arthur was alive. Merlin had defied Arthur's bane, and their conjoined destinies were still at play.

Except, Merlin didn't know if Arthur still wanted anything to do with him.

In the woods, Arthur had asked him to leave. And while Merlin knew that he wasn't exiled from Camelot, it meant nothing unless he could remain by Arthur's side, to protect him.

"Merlin?" Gaius voice asked.

Merlin gave a humming noise in response.

"Are you alright?"

Merlin rubbed his eyes before removing his hands, drawing in a breath through his teeth. "Yes."

But his eyes were red, his expression one of barely hidden distress.

"Arthur will take you back," Gaius said, his tone final, as if there was no uncertainty about it.

"How do you know?"

"You saved his life," the old man replied simply, as if that made anything right or easier.

Merlin's eyes filled with sorrow as he looked at his guardian. "I'm a sorcerer."

"The King will understand," Gaius insisted. "Has he not grown more compliment with sorcery these past few years? He used it to save Gwen, not to mention that he knows it won the battle against Morgana for him."

Merlin nodded unconvincingly. "But he hasn't changed the law."

"You will remain by his side until he does. I am sure of it."

Merlin sighed, resting his chin in his hand, and didn't say any more.

"Merlin," Gaius began, his tone inquiring. "I know that the Sidhe must've asked you something in return for healing Arthur." He paused, and took the look on Merlin's face for confirmation. "What was it?"

Merlin swallowed, seemingly composing himself. "It was a small price to pay, Gaius," he said with a small smile.

Gaius opened his mouth to say something, but just then, there was a sharp knock on the door and Arthur stuck his head inside. Merlin immediately got to his feet, staring uncertainly at the King.

But Arthur didn't look at him. "Uh, Gaius, may I have a word?"

"Of course, sire," Gaius said. He threw a worried glance at Merlin before following Arthur out of the chambers.

XXXX

Arthur stood with his palms pressed to the long table, leaning against it. Around him stood Gwen, Gaius, and a few of the most trusted knights; Sir Leon, Gwaine, Elyan and Percival. In the back of his mind, Arthur recognized with sorrow the empty spaces where Lancelot and Mordred might've stood. One gave his life to save Arthur's - the other gave his to kill him.

"For all of these years, I had no idea that my own servant was practicing sorcery," Arthur began, and looked up at Gaius. "But you did. The both of you have lied to me for years and years."

Gaius looked down at the floor. He was ashamed about the lies; but he would not apologize for keeping Merlin's secret. "Yes, sire."

"While letting you go without punishment feels wrong," the King continues, "I must do so, if I am to keep the reason for it secret. My people cannot yet know that I've allowed sorcery into my court."

Gaius tilted his head, confused about the meaning of Arthur's words. "You mean, sire... that you're letting us stay?"

Arthur nodded gravelly. "You'll remain the court physician, and Merlin..." Arthur took a deep breath. "Merlin will remain my servant, if he wishes."

"I believe he does, sire. May I ask what made you come to this decision?"

Arthur pressed his lips together. "He's been a faithful servant for many years. He's saved my life more times than I can count. That he has Magic... should not matter, as long as he uses it for good."

"That is very open minded of you, sire." Gaius smiled. "You have already proven to be a greater king than any before you. I believe you will go on to do even greater things."

Arthur's eyes turned soft and vulnerable at Gaius' words. "Thank you, Gaius. That means a lot coming from you." He looked over at Gwen. "Had I stayed as close minded as my father was, I would never have married Guinevere. And it's the best thing I've ever done."

Guinevere smiled at him, her eyes full of love for him. "You're doing the right thing, Arthur."

 _You've always done what you believed to be right. People respect you._

 _Thank you, Merlin._

Arthur nodded and turned toward the knights. "Now, remember that Magic is still outlawed. If Merlin practices it in the name of protecting me, then he is spared. Otherwise we must treat it as just as much of a crime."

The knights nodded in unison.

"I still can't believe Merlin has magic," Gwaine muttered, and then grinned. "I always knew there was something about him, though."

"Agreed," Leon said with a smile. "He's a good man, we've always known that."

"Yeah," Perceval gave Arthur a great pat on the back, "we knew that he, if anyone, could bring you back safely."

 _There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it._

"Merlin's secret is to remain that," Arthur continued, swallowing the lump of emotion in his throat. "I am not ready to openly condone sorcery, and even if I was, it might spark a civil war with my people."

"I admit it, sire," Gaius agreed. "The change has to be gradual. That is, if you're willing?"

Arthur nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I have seen personally the hate and seeds of destruction that my father planted with his anti-magic policy. I think we all have."

He looked especially at Elyan, who nodded, both remembering the ghost of the Druid boy who took possession of the knight, seeking revenge on Arthur for slaughtering their camp. Arthur had truly regretted his actions on the day he led his men to that Druid camp.

"Not to mention Morgana. She was sweet, and kind, and just." Arthur blinked against the tears building in his eyes. "But my father's, and then my intolerance of Magic drove her away. It made her hate us." His voice shook with emotion as he spoke. "And for that, I blame myself, and I vow in front of you all to never let that happen again."

"Aye," the knights echoed in agreement, all smiling and applauding. "Long live the king!"

And outside the door stood the young warlock, and he'd heard every word. A tear ran down his cheek as a great, wide grin spread across his face. Merlin felt like he could finally breathe again. This was a great step toward the land of Albion that he always dreamed of.


	3. Chapter 3

**Blown away by your support! Thank you so much for favoriting and leaving reviews!**

 **This chapter might be considered a little slow, but it features important moments between Merlin and Arthur. For everyone waiting for a little action; it's coming. Soon!**

* * *

When Merlin got back from gathering herbs for Gaius that evening, he found that Gwaine was waiting for him in Gaius' chambers.

"Merlin," the knight said and stood, "the King wishes to see you."

Merlin's heart fluttered nervously; Arthur had made a decision. Gwaine grinned at him, and some of his nerves eased.

"Good luck," Gwaine said.

Merlin could do nothing but nod. The walk over to Arthur's chambers felt a lot longer than usual, and he spent it dreading what was about to happen. Gaius had seemed convinced that Arthur would forgive and take Merlin back, but the young sorcerer himself didn't have an inkling as to what was about to happen.

He knocked on the King's door and waited.

"Enter," Arthur's voice called from the other side of the door, which Merlin then swung open and stepped inside. He paused there, arms folded behind his back.

"You wished to see me, My Lord?" Merlin half asked, half stated.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, good." He'd been standing by his desk, but now started to walk towards Merlin. The King met Merlin's gaze, but his expression was unreadable. "I think you should sit down," he continued.

Merlin frowned; Arthur had never asked him to sit down before. He did as he was told, tapping his fingers anxiously against the wooden surface of the table. Arthur sat across from him, braiding his fingers together on the table.

"I can't have Magic in my kingdom yet, Merlin," Arthur began slowly, and Merlin's heart dropped. He didn't like where this was going. "I hope you can understand that?"

Merlin nodded, turning his gaze to look down at the table. "I do, sire."

"But, good servants _are_ really hard to come by." There was an undertone of humour in his voice. "And if you want... I'd like you to keep being mine."

Merlin felt his eyes widen, and laughed airily in relief. Arthur still wanted him by his side. "Yes," he blurted out. "I mean, of course I do, my Lord."

If Merlin had thought Arthur would be happy by this, he was wrong. Arthur didn't seem happy - instead, he frowned deeply. "Why?"

Now it was Merlin's turn to be confused. "Sire?"

"Why would you want to keep being a servant, when you're much more than that?"

Merlin tilted his head. "I already told you," he said, "in the forest. It's my destiny to serve you, Arthur."

"Destiny," the king muttered. "I never used to believe in destiny." He looked up at Merlin. "But you do?"

Merlin nodded, a wide smile spreading across his face as he spoke of the destiny that they shared. "I was born to serve you, just as you were born the be the once and future King. Together, I'll help you unite the kingdoms into the land of Albion."

"Albion," Arthur repeated thoughtfully. "What can you tell me about it."

"It's supposed to be a great Kingdom; a place of peace among its people. A place where people of all religions and beliefs are accepted." There was a hint of awe in Merlin's voice as he spoke of Albion, and Arthur found himself entranced by it.

"How- how is it that you've come to know all of this?"

"Uh... do you remember the dragon, the one who attacked Camelot?" Arthur nodded, so Merlin continued. "His name is Kilgharrah. I... talked to him, sometimes. He helped me save you."

"You... you can talk to dragons?" Arthur questioned, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

Merlin nodded. "I am the last dragonlord; a title I inherited from my father." He looked pointedly at Arthur, for whom it didn't take long to put the pieces together.

"Balinor," Arthur breathed, recalling Merlin's tears after losing Balinor. "He was your father." Merlin nodded, and Arthur sighed. "The more I find out, the more I feel torn between being angry with for you lying to me, at the same time as I am also ashamed that you've had to hide this from me."

Merlin looked uncertainly at the king, somehow still afraid to upset him and make him change his mind. "I'm sorry, Arthur," he said in a low voice.

Arthur waved the apology away. "Don't be. The lies... are my fault too. For not making you feel like you could tell me." His eyebrows pulled low again. "So, this dragon told you of the prophecy, uniting the land of Albion? What else did he tell you?"

Merlin's eyes darkened. "He predicted the alliance between Mordred and Morgana. That's why I was so... suspicious of him. That's how I knew I should've stopped him." He shook his head, cursing himself. "I was so stupid. Kilgharrah warned me not to save him, back in the day. He said that I would do so without his support."

"Merlin," Arthur said sternly. "You saved me. I'm alive, and Mordred is dead, so just... stop blaming yourself." When Merlin didn't reply, he added, "that's an order."

Merlin snorted, but he did feel a little better.

Arthur smiled at him. "That's better. Oh, and Merlin... I, too, meant what I said in the woods. I am sorry for how I treated you." His voice was soft, and sincere. It was the more vulnerable side to Arthur that he rarely showed in public.

"It's okay," Merlin said. "You didn't know."

"Doesn't matter," Arthur said, shaking his head. "When we found the round table, I spoke of equality between all. That includes you. And... I'll try to be better at it."

Merlin nodded gravelly. "But I'm still your servant. And I'm still to keep my Magic hidden." He couldn't quite hide the bitter undertone to his voice, yet he knew that he could not expect Arthur to allow all Magic, just because he trusted him.

"Is that alright?" The King asked, eyes flickering across Merlin's face.

"Yes," Merlin responded, and he did so truthfully. At least Arthur finally knew, and for now, that was enough for Merlin.

XXXX

Merlin pulled the blinds open, letning the sunlight in. Arthur groaned in protest, covering his face with one of the many pillows in his bed.

"Wakey wakey," Merlin said cheerfully, and moved to pick out the King's clothes from his cupboard for a closet. When he turned back, he saw that Arthur still hadn't removed the pillow or gotten out of his bed. Merlin sighed, knowing what he had to do. He pulled the pillow off Arthur's face, expecting to be scolded, but the King just rolled over and buried his face in another pillow.

Merlin smacked his lips disapprovingly. "Arthur," he said sternly, his voice mocking, "it's time to get up and attended to all your... _royal_ duties."

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Fine," Merlin said with an eye roll, trying to figure out how best to get the King out of his bed. "Fine, if you don't want that delicious breakfast, I guess I'll have it, then. It'd be such a waste to throw it away..." He trailed off pointedly.

"Shut up, _Mer_ lin," Arthur said again, but this time he rolled over, squinting against the brightness. "Where are my clothes?"

"Right here, sire." Merlin held them up, grinning. He was surprisingly glad that at least this was back to normal; he was still the servant, and Arthur still didn't want to get out of his bed in the mornings.

The King literally rolled out of his bed and reached for his clothes. After changing he sat at the table where his breakfast already stood served. Hunger newly awoken, Arthur started shuffling the food into his mouth.

"Oh, and Merlin," he said, this time his voice muffled by food, "Guinevere told me yesterday. There's a great feast being held today, to celebrate Morgana's downfall. To finally welcome peace and prosperity to this land."

Merlin nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. "Certainly sounds like the perfect cause for celebration."

"Yes, it is. And I want you to be there."

Merlin frowned. "Of course, my Lord. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just... make sure that you're there tonight," Arthur replied avoidingly.

Merlin nodded. "Okay, I will. Anything else, sire?"

"Yes." Arthur grinned, and something about his expression seemed conspicuously gloating, which gave Merlin a bad, foreboding feeling. "I selflessly offered that you'd be helping organize it." Arthur failed to mask his amusement as Merlin's expression fell. "It's an honor, and you'd be pleased to do it, right Merlin?"

"Certainly, my Lord," Merlin said with barely hidén sarcasm. He was already planning how he could secretly use his Magic to do the chores for him.

"Oh, and Merlin, if I find out that you've been using Magic to make it easier for you.." Arthur said threateningly.

Merlin made a sour face. "Oh, I would never, sire."

XXXX

The feast took hours to prepare. Merlin ran back and forth through the castle, fetching plates and food and candles and decorations. It seemed the tasks were endless until he finally got back to Arthur's chambers to get him ready for the feast. By then, Merlin was muttering to himself about how insane he must've been to so desperately want to keep this job.

Exhausted as he was, Merlin first of all forgot to knock. Then he realized that he'd grabbed a crossbow arrow instead of the King's sword and was struggling to holster it in Arthur's belt.

" _Mer_ lin, what is the matter with you today?" Arthur asked with amusement as Merlin went to grab the real sword. "Did you have too much whine while preparing for the feast?"

Merlin shook his head, as if trying to shake the fog from his mind. "Just tired," he muttered, and he did not have the spirit to fake so much as a smile to make Arthur feel better.

The latter sobered as he found no amusement on Merlin's face, and so it drained from his as well. "Alright, tell me what's wrong." His tone was commanding, but there was also a hint of softness to his voice.

"Nothing, I-"

"Merlin."

"I already told you," Merlin said exasperatedly. "I am just tired. It will pass."

Arthur frowned, studying Merlin as the latter picked up his royal cape and placed it around the King's shoulders. He noticed the circles under Merlin's eyes, and the tension in his shoulders - no doubt brought on by the stress of Arthur's near-death experience, but definitely worsened by the recent workload.

"You know... it will get better for you," Arthur said slowly, keeping his eyes on Merlin even as the young sorcerer avoided his gaze. "We must keep up appearances for now, but if it's any comfort... things will get better for you." There was a promise in his words that reawoke the spark in Merlin; the dreams he had for the future.

Merlin nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his face as hos eyes finally met the King's. "I know." He smiled brightly. "It is destined to be."


	4. Chapter 4

**Guys... don't question why Gwaine is alive, please xD He died in 5x12 (I think) and I changed 5x12 soooo he can be alive in my version of the story! It just wouldn't be the same without him. I wish Lancelot could be alive as well, but that would be going back on a whole season, so I won't make it that out of story.**

 **Anyway, thank you all so much for your great comments! I know a lot of y'all are dying to know what the price Merlin payed was... you'll find out soon. Maybe even get a hint from this chapter? ...**

 **Your reviews are eeeverything to me! Keep going! Much obliged.**

 **Disclaimer: Same as always.**

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Merlin stood positioned by the wall, along with five other servants that he didn't recognize. The King and Queen sat by the far end of the table, laughing and drinking. Behind them stood Geneeva, Gwen's new servant, holding a silver can of whine. Along the rest of the table sat eight knights, including Sir Leon, Percival and Gwaine, and further down; Gaius. The remaining seats were occupied by council members.

Arthur suddenly rose, clearing his throat, and held up his cup in front of him in a toast. "For many years, Morgana's evil has plagued this land. She took the throne at least twice, but was always dethroned." His expression darkened. "She... turned Mordred against us. And he, in turn, just about killed me. But," he added, and there was a hint of a smile on his face, "she didn't count on the one person that has always been loyal to me; to Camelot. Merlin?" Arthur turned to look at Merlin, waving him forward.

Hesitantly, the young warlock placed the tray he was holding down on the table and stood by Arthur's side. The King placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes filled with appreciation as he looked at Merlin.

"Merlin here, saved my life. Against all odds, in spite of a fatal wound, I am standing here, thanks to him," Arthur said, looking out across the table. "And more than that; he was the one who dealt the mortal blow to Morgana. She snuck up on us, and I was defenseless- yet again, Merlin saved my life. And I can never repay that debt. And that's why, while he remains my servant, he is no longer just that. He is a Court Trustee, which means he is one of the most trusted people in my court, and should therefore be treated with respect."

Arthur grinned at Merlin, who stood frozen for a moment.

 _It will get better for you._

Arthur's words echoed through his head, and they suddenly made sense. This meant that Merlin would not be treated as garbage anymore. He'd be - sort of - recognized for what he had done for Camelot. Warmth spread through his heart and a grin across his face.

Gwaine rose from his seat. "To Merlin!" he called out, raising his glass, and the rest of the table followed suit, cheering "Merlin!"

In the midst of all the noise, Arthur turned toward Merlin and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "Thank you for everything, old friend."

Merlin nodded. "Yeah," he said, grinning, and shrugged, "anytime."

Arthur smiled, and when the room went silent again, he turned toward the people.

"Now, I want to make something clear," he said, voice filled with authority. "Morgana was a sorceress, and she brought nothing but bad to this kingdom. There can be no question that sorcery can be used for evil." Merlin's heart clenched a little, and he cursed himself; he knew what Arthur thought. His eyes met Gaius', and the old man's eyes looked sad as they met his. "But," Arthur continued, "it was also a sorcerer, that won the battle with Morgana's army for us. Sorcery, saved my life. Therefore, there can be no doubt that sorcery can also be used for good."

He turned to look at Guinevere, who nodded, her eyes shining with warmth and sincerity. "A sorceress once saved my life," she told the room, "and she said something very wise. 'There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men.'"

"Queen Guinevere and I have therefore decided, that while sorcery is still strictly outlawed," Arthur spoke slowly to emphasis the importance, "it is no longer punishable by death."

A whisper went through the crowd, but Merlin couldn't quite decide if they sounded displeased or just shocked.

"The death sentence is a cruelty I no longer want to enforce," the King continued. "Maximum punishment will be exile, or a lifetime spent in prison. I will announce it to the people tomorrow. Thank you." He sat down, and the rest of the room followed after a moment.

Talk erupted amongst the table, but Merlin hadn't moved. He felt like he couldn't quite process what had just happened. Sorcery was no longer punishable by execution - that was a step in the right direction. Another one. Happiness bubbled up inside him, and Merlin turned toward Arthur.

"Arthur, I..." Merlin shook his head slightly, at a loss for words. "Thank you."

"Well, I didn't think you were ever speechless," Arthur joked, "so seeing you like that is 'thank you' enough."

Somewhere in the making fun of him, Merlin saw the honest message; _no need to thank me_.

Merlin smiled, gave a slight bow, and started backing away from the table again, taking the tray with him.

Then somebody screamed.

It was loud and piercing, cutting through the room like a knife. Chaos erupted immediately. People were running, some fleeing out the door, while he saw knights getting to their feet, swords drawn.

Merlin dropped the tray he was holding. His eyes darted around the room, looking around for the cause of the panic, searching for any perils. Five of the knights were already slumped over the table, Merlin noticed, and there were knife handles sticking out of their backs. His heart dropped. They were most likely dead.

Merlin soon identified the threat. The five 'servants'. Merlin doubted that they were servants at all; judging by the stealthy way they moved, they were more like assassins. And they were all holding long blades.

The young warlock immediately rushed to Arthur's side, drawing a sword from one of the fallen knights. He noticed that Gwen wasn't there, and was relieved that somebody had gotten her out.

The intruders all turned simultaneously, and their gazes were fixed on Arthur.

"What's happening?" Merlin called to Arthur as the threat moved nearer.

The intruders' path toward the King was interrupted by Sir Leon, Percival and another knight, Sir Wilfred- but they were three against five, so the knights' odds weren't looking too good.

"They infiltrated the castle, somehow," Arthur called back. One of the intruders managed to slip past the knights, and lunged toward where Arthur and Merlin stood.

The King raised his sword to block the blow, using his other arm to forcefully push Merlin backward. The latter stumbled a few steps back, readying his sword as another intruder slipped past the knights.

Arthur moved slightly to the side, and Merlin could tell that he was trying to fight them both. The warlock rushed to Arthur's side. "Sire, let me help!" he said frustratedly, blocking the next sword that came flying at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw that Sir Leon dropped one of the assassins to the floor. But then, there was a grunt of pain, and Sir Leon caught Wilfred as he fell. The intruder that had stabbed him didn't stay to finish his work, but instead rushed toward Merlin and Arthur.

Leon looked from the wounded knight in his arms, to Arthur, and back, seemingly unsure what to do.

"Go, Leon!" Arthur called out, having apparently also seen what happened. "Get him to Gaius! We've got this!"

Leon hesitated only briefly before lifting Wilfred and leaving the room. But now Merlin and Arthur were battling three of them, and while Arthur was mostly taking on two, Merlin had block some of the third one's blows as well. He was sweating by now, intensely focused on blocking all the blows and protecting the King at the same time. Using magic was not an option unless it was his last resort, Merlin knew. But he was playing defense in blocking all the blows, not getting the chance to strike back.

Arthur, however - being much more skilled than Merlin in sword fights - finally dealt a mortal blow to his opponent, who slumped to the floor, thus enabling Arthur to fully take on the third assassin.

Simultaneously, Percival killed the intruder he was battling, and turned to help Arthur and Merlin. But the King shook his head; there were only two intruders left. "Go check on the knights," he ordered. "Get any survivors out of here."

Merlin ducked under the blade coming for his head, danced around the assassin, and drove his sword into his opponent's side. The man screamed and dropped to the ground.

"Impressive, Merlin," Arthur joked, his teeth gritted with the effort. Just as Merlin was about to step in to help him, the sound of shouting and swords clashing together reached his ears. He turned to look out the doors leading to the hallway, and saw shadows against the wall, growing bigger. Soon, a crowd of people welled in. And they were not the people of Camelot. Their faces were twisted with anger, weapons raised above their heads as they charged. But mixed among them were guards and knights of Camelot, trying to put a stop to the enemy's attack. Fighting ensued, but Merlin could already tell that there were too many of them. As he watched yet another knight fall to the floor, he knew what he had to do.

Merlin put his hand out, his palm pointing toward the crowd of people that were fighting for their lives. He muttered a couple of words under his breath, felt the surge of magic as he knew his eyes glowed golden, and the enemy went flying through the air. They landed limply on the floor and stayed there.

Merlin would have reveled in the fact that he could use magic so openly, next to Arthur's side, but as the surge of magic left him, something strange happened that Merlin was not used to. It was replaced by a burning sensation, like poison coursing through his veins. He gritted his teeth, pressing his hand that was clenched into a fist to his chest as if it could ease the pain.

Just as the sensation started to ease slightly, he felt another kind of pain. It was sharp and white-hot, starting in his right shoulder and radiating through his arm.

"Merlin!" He heard a voice shout. It sounded angry, panicked.

Somehow, Merlin thought, this was worse than the other type of pain. This one went straight to his head, blinding him. Before he knew it, he was slumped on his left side, clutching his shoulder. Something wet was running down his arm, soaking his hand. When he looked up, he saw through blurry eyes that Arthur was pulling his sword out of one of the intruders - the one that Merlin had only recently struck with his sword - and his face was contorted with rage. The man dropped to the ground, dead, and Arthur turned toward Merlin, concern in his eyes.

"Merlin?" The King crouched beside him, reaching toward Merlin, and the next thing Merlin knew, he was swallowed in pain again.

"Sorry, sorry," Arthur's muffled voice said, while Merlin waited for the darkness to retreat from his vision again. "We need to get you to Gaius."

Merlin blew out a breath, and nodded. Arthur hauled him to his feet, slinging his good arm around his shoulders. Merlin was grateful; the warlock would've keeled over if it wasn't for the support. He kept his right arm tightly wrapped around his chest to jar his shoulder as little as possible while they walked- well, Arthur walked, and mostly dragged Merlin with him. The latter felt as they'd been walking for an eternity when Arthur finally opened the door to Gaius' chambers.

Merlin saw that several beds had been put in there, containing the injured; he noticed Wilfred, covered in sweat, and next to him... Gwaine. He was pale, seemingly lifeless. Merlin's heart clenched. Gwaine must've been one of the first ones that got stabbed, literally, in the back.

"Merlin!" Gaius' voice sounded alarmed as Arthur entered with Merlin leaning heavily against him.

"How is he?" Merlin asked, his gaze still locked on Gwaine.

"Er..." Gaius began, obviously still shocked, his eyes flickering to Arthur. "His wounds are life threatening. I cannot yet say if he will make it."

Merlin nodded, and he could feel that there were tears in his eyes, but he didn't have the energy to wipe them away.

"Don't you worry about that, now," Gaius said sympathetically, "come on."

He led them up the stairs, into Merlin's room. "Sit down," the physician ordered, an added sternness to his voice.

Arthur gently let Merlin slide onto the bed while Gaius left to fetch supplies. The young warlock remained sitting up, but he was slumped over, still clutching his shoulder. His head hung low, his chin touching his chest, and so his face was hidden from Arthur when he spoke. "I could've done more." Merlin's voice was but a mumble. "If I'd reacted faster, used my magic-"

Arthur shook his head. "Don't be silly, Merlin. There was nothing more you could've done."

"Gwaine." Merlin sucked in a breath between his teeth, making a hissing noise, as if it hurt him to merely utter the name. He didn't continue, just kept shaking his head slightly. How had things gone so awry, so fast? It felt like years since that moment in the dining hall, when Arthur had acknowledged him and the goodness of sorcery; he'd been the happiest he'd felt in a long time. And now... now, he was in a world of pain.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the love! You guys are truly the best. Reviews are my favooorite, I can't help but smile when I read them :3**

 **I hope this chapter gives some of you piece of mind. Or... it might make you more worried. Oops.**

 **Disclaimer: You should all know it by now... Merlin is not mine.**

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Sleeping was impossible.

Merlin found that his shoulder burned unbearably whenever it touched the bed. The only position that worked was on his left shoulder, with his injured one in the air. It was uncomfortable and not what he was used to, so he kept nodding of and waking up with a start.

He hadn't thought it to be possible, but his shoulder felt even worse the next day. Moving as absolute agony, and he tried to do it as little as possible, which wasn't really a problem since Gaius put him on strict bedrest. Despite being served meals in his bed and not having to do chores, Merlin soon became restless, despising his inability to move. The day seemed to pass painfully slow.

Late in the afternoon, as Merlin lay on his left side, staring out the small window in his room, there was a knock on the door. Arthur stepped inside, his expression unreadable to Merlin. "Still alive, then?" the King asked, the concern in his voice obvious though he tried to conceal it with humour.

Merlin pulled himself up into a half-sitting position, with a grimace as the movement jarred his shoulder. "Apparently."

Arthur gave a sympathetic nod, as if to say he understood how Merlin felt - which, considering the injuries he'd suffered, he probably did.

"How are the knights?" Merlin asked. They had been moved to a temporary infirmary room where Gaius could tend to them.

"All have woken, except- except for Gwaine." The hesitation in his voice did not go unnoticed by Merlin, who nodded, staring down at his hands.

"Is he going to be okay?" the young warlock asked.

Arthur shifted where he stood, anxiously tapping his fingers to the hilt of his sword. Merlin could tell that the King was taking the injuries of his men very hard. "The blade pierced right through his stomach." Arthur's voice shook slightly as he spoke. "There's internal bleeding, and Gaius suspects it might have nicked vital organs. He's doing what he can for him."

Merlin's eyes widened slightly. "And here I thought being stabbed in the shoulder was bad," he muttered.

"I can't say I blame you." Arthur shrugged. "We use our shoulders for more than we're aware of; they even move as soon as we breathe."

"So does the stomach," the young sorcerer pointed out, shuddering as he thought about what Gwaine was going through.

Arthur was quiet for a moment. "Listen, Merlin, I came to tell you that we're going to interrogate the surviving assassins tonight. If you're feeling up for it," his eyes flickered toward Merlin's shoulder and limp arm, "you should be there."

Merlin nodded intently. "I am- I will."

"Good." Arthur stood awkwardly for a moment, as thought he wanted to say something more. "It... it appears you saved our lives yet again, Merlin."

"With magic," Merlin clarified, and gave a shake of his head. "Felt really... strange, to practice it openly."

Arthur snorted. "Agreed."

"Strange, but good," Merlin added slowly, looking apprehensively up at Arthur.

The King studied him for a moment. "I want you to tell me what price you payed for my life at the isle of the Sidhe."

Merlin groaned. "Have you been talking to Gaius?" He understood the change of subject. Arthur was still suspicious of magic, and that would not change in the span of a couple of days.

"Maybe." Arthur tilted his head, looking stern. "But it's not that hard to figure out that the Sidhe would not heal me for free."'

Merlin sighed. "It was a small price to pay so that Albion could live. It was my choice, and so it is my burden to bear."

But Arthur wouldn't stop digging. "It has something to do with your... with your magic, right? I saw you."

The young warlock frowned, confused by his words.

"I saw you, after you sent the attackers flying," Arthur continued. "You went to your knees like you were in pain _before_ that bastard stabbed you."

"I... don't know what you're talking about." Merlin's tone was light.

"Merlin."

"My Lord," Merlin said, mimicking Arthur's grave tone. "You need not worry about it."

But he saw that Arthur's expression did not change, and realised that he wouldn't budge. Merlin was tired; he'd slept poorly and been awake all day. His shoulder was throbbing and his body aching from lying on the same side. So he let his exhaustion color his features and sighed, turning his face away from Arthur.

"Get some rest, Merlin," Arthur finally said. "I'll send somebody to fetch you before the interrogation."

XXXX

"Who sent you?" Arthur's voice echoed through the chamber. He stod in front of his throne, his arms folded as he gazed down upon the criminal before him. Guinevere sat on the throne next to his, wearing an expression carved in stone.

The intruder was kneeling on the floor, two guards standing behind him. At Arthur's question, he merely sneered and said nothing.

"Answer my questions, and I might spare your life," said Arthur authorically. "Do not, and I'll have no choice but to sentence you to death for treason."

Though the criminal did well to hide his reaction, Merlin could see from where he was standing a few feet to the side, that he was obviously intimidated by the King's words

"Who. Sent. You." Arthur repeated.

It seemed the self preservation instinct won above the loyalty to whomever, because after a moment's hesitation, the man opened his mouth. "Morgana."

The name seemed to echo ominously through the room, and everybody was quiet for a moment. "So even in death, she haunts me," Arthur said finally, a note of sorrow to his voice.

"What did she promise you in exchange for my life?" he continued, and his voice was firm again, no trace of sadness left.

At this question, the kneeling man burst out laughing. It was a cold and humorless laugh, that chilled Merlin to the bone. "We were not hired to kill _you_ ," he sneered. "Are you always so arrogant and bigheaded? In that case, no wonder you've made enemies."

Arthur frowned, ignoring the insult. "Then who?"

Merlin flinched as the intruder's eyes flickered to his. "Emrys," the man whispered.

Arthur remained just as confused. "Who?"

Merlin took a few slow steps forward, clutching his right arm even though it was tightly wrapped across his chest and around his good shoulder. "Emrys," began slowly, "is what the druids call me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arthur's head turn to look at him, but Merlin fixed his eyes on the criminal. "She hired you to kill me?" he asked him.

The man nodded, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "The great sorcerer," he mocked. "Brought to his knees by a mortal blade. I don't know what she had to fear from you."

Merlin refused to give him a reaction; that's exactly what he was out for. "I was always destined to be her doom," he simply said.

Arthur turned back toward the assassin. "What were your exact orders?"

"Get in, kill Emrys," he confessed, "and take his body to the meeting place for payment."

"Where's the meeting place?"

The assassin pressed his lips together. "Execute me if you must; I am not telling you that." There was a finality in his tone that made even Arthur realise that there was no point in trying to squeeze it out of him.

The King instead gestured to the guards to take him away, and sat down on his throne, still frowning deeply. "Well, I see you've made friends," he said sarcastically to Merlin.

The young warlock shrugged with one shoulder. "Morgana knew of the prophecy that said I was to be her downfall. She was scared, but did not know who Emrys was until the day before the battle," Merlin explained, his voice intent, needing Arthur to understand. "That is why I did not come with you that day, Arthur. I want you to know... She took my magic, and I knew I was powerless without it, so I went to retrieve it. But I wanted more than anything to be by your side."

"Merlin, it's _o_ kay." Arthur gave him a half-smile. "I meant what I said that morning - I've always thought you were the bravest man I ever met. I know now that I was not wrong."

Merlin nodded, relieved, and then looked at the doors where the assassin had disappeared. "What will you do with him?"

Arthur looked over at his wife. "Guinevere?"

She tilted her head. "They did not try to kill the King," she said slowly, "but can we still charge him with treason?"

"Yes," Arthur said without hesitation. "This attack was on all of Camelot. We lost several good men."

Merlin flinched slightly as his words sank in. They lost several men because Morgana wanted him dead- they were dead because of him.

"Then I believe we have no choice but to sentence him to death, in accordance with our laws," Guinevere pointed out.

Arthur nodded, and looked questioningly at Merlin, as if asking his advice. "Merlin?"

Merlin hesitated for a moment, then gave a nod in agreement. "My Lord."

"It's decided then." Arthur said and rose. "The traitors will be executed at dawn."

XXXX

Two days later, Gaius finally permitted Merlin to return to work. He was still in a sling, but more eager than Merlin had ever expected to be about returning to serve Arthur. Three days of bedrest had bored him to the point that doing chores had begun to seem attractive.

"Ah, Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed as Merlin stepped into his chambers. "Good, there's a ton that has to be done." The King gestured around his room, and any excitement that Merlin had felt to return to work was snuffed out.

The long table was cluttered with armour ready to be polished; beneath it stood all of Arthur's pairs of shoes waiting to be cleaned; the laundry basket was filled to the brim, and his bed was unmade. "Oh, great," Merlin muttered. Doing all of this one-handed seemed like a nightmare.

He fetched the necessary tools and started polishing Arthur's armour. Soon, there was a loud clearing of the throat from where the King sat at his desk. Merlin looked up.

"Why don't you use magic?" Arthur said in a low voice.

Merlin felt his mouth drop open, and raised his eyebrows. "You... you want me to...?" He trailed off, confused.

"Not for all of it," Arthur clarified. "Just... I'm intrigued to see how it happens."

The young warlock frowned, now suspicious. _Arthur, intrigued,_ and _Magic_ were three words that did not work together. Perhaps it was some kind of trap...

That's when it hit him. Arthur already suspected that the price Merlin had payed had to do with his Magic, and now he wanted him to use it.

"Nah, I'm good," Merlin said, again making his voice light, and went back to polishing.

"You wouldn't deny your King's orders, would you, Merlin?" Arthur said sternly. Merlin looked up at him again, and a battle of wills occurred between them for a moment. But Merlin knew that he could not win - Arthur was the King after all, and so the former caved with a sigh. He saw no other way out of the situation.

Merlin didn't have to raise his hand this time; he simply looked at the armour and rag, mumbled a spell, and felt the power rush as his eyes glowed golden. The rag immediately started moving against the armour by itself.

The young warlock was once again met by the odd burning sensation that filled his body. His legs immediately felt weak and painful to stand on, and he went to his knees with a groan.

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice was close to him, and he felt a hand on his good shoulder. Slowly, the agonizing feeling left his body, but the weakness remained, and he felt out of breath. "What was that?" the King asked worriedly, helping him to his feet. "What on earth did you do?"

Merlin grimaced. "The Sidhe... he sought to limit my power. I can still use my magic, but... it weakens me."

Arthur looked stricken. "You weakened yourself to save me?"

"Yes, and I know that it means I can't protect you as well, but if it meant that you could at least live-"

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, wearing a look of disbelief. "That's what worried you?"

"Of course, sire," Merlin said, as though it was obvious. "It is my destiny to protect you."

"Well, Morgana is dead," Arthur said, "and I know of no great threat that would need you to use your powers, so... don't concern yourself."

Merlin pressed his lips together. "The seeds of her destruction have already been sown, my Lord," he said gravely. "Who knows what else is waiting for us. Maybe... maybe this was just the beginning."


	6. Chapter 6

Had Merlin known of the many perks of being injured - especially in the name of saving Camelot - he might've done it sooner. Arthur and the other knights actually helped him carry some of the many bags, and Perceval even offered to help him into his saddle, seeing as he couldn't use both arms to pull himself up.

This special treatment did not, however, make Merlin feel any more excited about the fact that they were going hunting. He dreaded it; he'd never seen the fun in it, nor did the trips ever end well, in Merlin's experience.

Another couple of days had passed, and though Merlin's arm was no longer wrapped, he found it surprisingly useless as his muscles still protested whenever he tried to lift it or carry heavier things. Riding a horse was surprisingly uncomfortable, considering how well his wound had healed, but the harsh impact of the stallion's hooves against the ground jarred his shoulder and made it throb in protest. He set a slow as possible pace to diminish the impact, and ended up riding at the back of the group. Merlin didn't mind, though; the position gave him the perfect view of the group, making it easy to keep track of the King.

They spread out when they got to the woods, and Merlin stayed by Arthur's side. The sport of hunting was pretty monotonous, from Merlin's perspective; somebody called out 'Deer!' or another type of prey, and the group charged it, leaving it with really no chance at all. Its last moment were filled with fear as it ran for its life. Merlin often couldn't watch; he let the knights deal the fatal blow, and then made sure it didn't suffer. Really, Merlin found that hunting wasn't a sport at all, seeing as the other side was superior from the beginning. Come the afternoon when Arthur made the call to end the hunting trip for the day, they had felled three deers, and Arthur had killed a moose.

"Alright, I think that'll do for today," Arthur said cheerfully as Merlin checked that the arrow from the King's crossbow had really killed the moose. He was relieved to find that it had died immediately. Merlin was just about to pull himself up into his saddle again when one of the hunting horns rang out. The both of them looked toward the sound, confused as to why somebody would blow it seeing as Arthur had called the hunt off.

The rest of the knights suddenly appeared among the trees; and they were running straight towards them, faces livid with terror. "Run!" someone called out. "Beast!"

"Merlin, come on," Arthur urged him. In his urgency, Merlin used both arms to pull him up, and he winced as a spike of pain shot through his right arm. He tried to ignore it and set off in a gallop behind Arthur. Even though they rode as fast as they could toward Camelot, the roaring of the beast became louder as it caught up with them.

"What is it?" Arthur shouted to the knights ahead of them who had seen the creature.

"I don't know," Sir Wilfred called back, "but our spears and arrows were useless against it!"

Something suddenly came at them from the side, moving so fast that it was only a blur, and swept the horses' legs out from under them. Several of them went to the ground, sending their riders flying off in the process, inclusikg the King and his servant.

Merlin landed flat on his back, which forced the air out of his lungs. His shoulder flared up from the impact, giving off waves of pure agony as though it had been broken, and Merlin clamped a hand over it, grimacing with a soundless groan of pain. The creature's shadow fell upon him, yet he couldn't bring himself to move; the pain was too overwhelming. It looked like a giant lizard, and the thing that had swept them off the ground appeared to be its tail, several meters long and a couple of feet thick. He was something drip from its bared teeth as it hissed - some kind of poison? - and its head moved towards him in an attack- Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain of sharp teeth embedding in his body...

But the pain never came. Instead, there was a swooshing noise and the sound of the giant lizard crying out. Merlin opened his eyes. Arthur stood in front of him, a flaming torch in his hand. When he swept the fire towards the lizard it screamed and darted back.

 _Smart,_ Merlin thought. They had brought the torches in case the hunt lasted until after dark.

Arthur turned toward where Merlin lay on the ground, still holding out the torch in the direction of the lizard to hold it off, and reached his hand down to Merlin. The young warlock grabbed it, distantly aware as he was pulled to his feet that his hand hand come off his shoulder spotted with blood again.

"Fire scares it off!" Arthur shouted to the rest of the knights. "Light up your torches. We ride for Camelot!"

Merlin heavily pulled himself up into his saddle for the umpteenth time that day, still feeling slightly out of breath. They rode in a close formation, keeping torches pointed in every direction around them.

Looking over at Arthur as they rode, Merlin noticed for the first time that there was a cut on the King's forehead from where a few drops of blood had leaked out and run down the side of his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked shakily, using his good arm to point at the King's face.

Arthur frowned and waved it away. "I should be asking you that. You're the one who's gone pale as a sheet."

Merlin ignored him. "That might be a concussion," he insisted.

Arthur shook his head and wiped the blood from his face. "I feel fine, Merlin. You, on the other hand, appear to have ripped your stitches. Your shoulder's bleeding again." He nodded toward the shoulder that Merlin was clutching. The latter looked down and, removing his hand, saw that his red shirt was spotted with a darker red. "You'll need to see Gaius."

Merlin made a sour face. "I'll go if you go," he said, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Arthur just rolled his eyes.

When they got back to the castle, they left their horses with the guards and headed straight toward the physician's chambers. Arthur reluctantly agreed to go first, after Merlin insisted. The warlock sat down on one of the benches and watched while Gaius cleaned Arthur's wound and then examined his eyes.

"I'd say you have a very minor concussion, sire," Gaius finally concluded. "You were lucky."

Arthur nodded, looking at where Merlin sat slumped with concern in his eyes. "Wish I could say the same for him."

The physician turned toward his charge, touching his good shoulder to catch his attention. "Merlin."

Merlin looked up bemusedly. "Huh?"

"I'm going to have a look at that shoulder," Gaius explained. Merlin nodded and pulled down his shirt. Judging by Arthur's expression, which was merely sympathetic and not horrified, it wasn't as bad as it felt.

"There is some bruising..." Gaius mumbled as he prodded around the injury. "Two of the stitches are torn which is why you're bleeding again." He gave Merlin a stern look. "Certainly an easy fix, considering what could have happened. I told you to be careful, Merlin."

"I was!" Merlin exclaimed defensively. "It's not my fault we were attacked by a giant lizard with a tail as long as a tree is tall," he muttered, flinching as Gaius wiped some antiseptic ointment on his wound.

Arthur rose as Gaius brought out the needle and thread. "It seems you and I can't stop saving each other's lives," he said, and Merlin suspected it was to distract him.

The latter had unconsciously held his breath as Gaius repaired his stitches, and didn't realize it until he opened his mouth to reply. "Yeah, I'd say we're probably even," Merlin said breathlessly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and two knights stepped inside. They turned toward the King and told him that he was needed in the Throne Hall immediately.

"I'll come with," Merlin said. As Gaius was done with the stitches, he was able to from his seat.

"Merlin, that's not necessary," Arthur said, at the same time as Gaius said, "You need rest, Merlin."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, you know me," he said, grinning. "I never do as I'm told."

So the young warlock followed Arthur to the Hall, and when they entered they found a small crowd of people standing in the middle of the room. Arthur walked around the group and stepped up to stand in front of his throne.

"You requested an audience?" he asked, voice echoing through the large room.

The crowd parted, revealing a woman standing in the middle. Her hair was ruffled up and her lip was cut, bleeding.

"What happened to you?" Arthur continued, frowning disapprovingly.

"Sire, my village," she said, voice breaking, "it was attacked."

"By who?"

"I- I don't know, sire." Her voice shook as she explained what had happened. "They... they weren't _somebody's_. They belonged to no army."

Arthur stepped down to stand in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What did they want?"

The woman shuddered visibly. "I don't think they wanted to kill us. They didn't use swords, sire. They beat everyone who resisted them into submission, and then they just... rounded everyone up and..." Her lower lip quivered as a tear fell down her cheek. "Sire, they had magic."

Merlin startled, and watched Arthur's reaction. His expression turned stony. "What did they do to you?" he said darkly.

"I am not sure, sire. It was... some kind of ritual." She swallowed, her eyes glistening as she looked up at the King. "I fled. I do not believe that they - my family, my friends... are themselves any longer."

Arthur squeezed her shoulder sympathetically. "I shall dispatch some of the knights to recover your village. Where is it located?"

"No- sire, I don't think you understand," she said, emphasizing her words, "they're coming. Here, to Camelot. I overheard them, and I... I came to warn you."

Arthur's expression darkened. "How long do we have?"

"They had not yet left when I escaped." She frowned. "It is a day's travel from my village to here, so I expect you have at least a day."

The King nodded. "Thank you. You've brought us invaluable information; you shall be rewarded. Anything you want."

The woman shook her head. "I ask only for one thing. Please, spare my family," she whispered, her hands trembling as she clasped them together in front of her. "Please, I beg of you - they are not their own."

Arthur seemed to think about it for a moment, then took her clasped hands between his. "Thanks to your warning, that might just be possible. I promise you, I will try my best to not harm any of them."

A wide smile lit up her face, yet tears started falling down her cheeks again. "Thank you, my Lord," she breathed, and fell to her knees in obvious relief. Arthur gestured for her to be taken care of, and Merlin then accompanied him out of the Hall.

"That was very admirable of you," Merlin told him as they walked. Arthur snorted, but Merlin's expression was serious. "I mean it," he continued. "You're proving to everyone what I've always known; that you'd make a great king."

Arthur looked over at him, a smile playing over his lips. His expression was open, unguarded, and he gave Merlin a playful pat on the shoulder. "Thank you, my friend."

XXXX

As the sun set beautifully above the treetops and towers of Camelot, Merlin was in Arthur and Guinevere's chambers, packing for their upcoming mission. They were to leave in the morning and meet the enchanted villagers before they could reach Camelot and fulfill whatever plan they had. Arthur and Guinevere stood leaning over the desk, discussing something that Merlin was too deep in his own thoughts to pay attention to.

He was only pulled out of it when there was a sudden knock on the door. Gaius stepped inside, looking troubled. "My Lord, my Lady. Do you have a moment?"

As he met Merlin's inquiring gaze, his expression remained grim. "You too, Merlin."

"Of course," Arthur said, and the three of them approached the elderly man. "What is it, Gaius?"

"I have concerns, regarding your mission tomorrow," Gaius said slowly. "I fear it might not go as planned."

Arthur frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that we have no idea how many Morgana told of Merlin's true identity." Gaius threw an eye at Merlin, who stood beside him, arms folded.

"You think it might be a trap?" the young warlock asked gravely.

"I believe that the enemies of Camelot that still live might come for you, when they have the chance."

Merlin pressed his lips together and started tapping his fingers against his arm.

"But he'll be in the company of Arthur and his knights," Guinevere said, "surely there's nowhere else he might be better protected?"

Merlin shook his head grimly. "It's not that. If I come with you... I'll be putting you all in danger. There's a price on my head, and I am sure they will not hesitate to kill Arthur or anyone else to get to me." He turned to Gaius. "You don't think I should go?"

"No, Merlin, that is not up to me," he said firmly. "I came only to make you aware of the danger. Now, I bid you goodnight." He bowed slightly to Arthur and Gwen, threw Merlin a pointed look, and left the room.

Merlin sighed, still tapping his fingers thoughtfully against his folded arms, and stared at the floor, his thoughts racing. Guinevere brushed her hand against Arthur's arm and smiled up at him before she left to get ready for bed, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone.

"Maybe I shouldn't go with you," Merlin said suddenly, looking up at the King.

"What?" Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Merlin, there's no reason to be frightened. You'll be safe with us."

The young warlock glared at him. "It is not my safety that I'm concerned with! I'm afraid that I would only be exposing _you_ to danger."

Arthur shook his head, folding his arms. "No, Merlin. There's always a price on my head anyway - I am used to being in danger." He grinned at Merlin. "Now you know how it feels. And trust me, you can _not_ let it hold you back." He gave Merlin's shoulder a light squeeze, and left him to finish packing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Woah! Stuff is happening in this chapter ...**

 **Oh, and before you start reading it, you are all LOVELY people! Thank you for your encouraging reviews!**

 **I disclaim what I always disclaim.**

* * *

Arthur and Merlin left early the next morning together with a small army of knights and headed toward the small village that had been attacked, hoping they would intercept the attackers on their way to Camelot.

"Will you stop it, Merlin?" Arthur said irritably when Merlin yawned for maybe the fifteenth time. "You're making the rest of us tired."

Merlin shook off the yawn. "I can't help it," he muttered. Gaius had given him some medicine for pain relief that morning, which made him feel drowsier than normal.

The dawning sun broke through the trees and shone its pale red light upon them, causing the leaves and grass of the forest to glitter as it reflected in the early dew. The morning wind whipped cooly against Merlin's face as they rode. It wasn't until past midday that the King ordered that they make camp and get some food in them.

Merlin made a fire and started cooking them a stew based upon deer for their meal. He put aside a small bowl for himself before he told the rest of them that it was done; he knew from experience that Arthur and his closest knights wouldn't leave him without food, but since they were traveling with a small army he could not count on everybody remembering him. After making sure that everybody had been served, Merlin sat down next to the fire and started in on his bowl. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he tasted the salty meat, and finished his portion in a matter of minutes.

Next on his list of duties was feeding the horses. He got to his feet and wiped the dirt off his pants before he grabbed the horse food amongst all the packing that they'd brought. He poured the food on the ground in front of each horse, feeding his and Arthur's horses last. Merlin took a moment to stroke his horse's neck as it ate, admiring the creature that carried him for miles upon miles, no matter the state he was in.

He was startled by a sudden movement in the corner of his vision. Merlin looked up, and at once registered several strangers appearing behind the trees. Judging by their grim expressions, they were foes, and not friends. They moved slowly towards him, and he started to back up just as slowly, inching toward the camp. In unison, they pulled their swords out and pointed them at him. The message was clear; they did not want him to make a sound. Merlin gulped and threw a glance over his shoulder to see how far he was from the knights.

 _I can make it,_ he thought impulsively, turned on his heel and ran for the camp. Merlin could hear that they were charging after him.

"They're here!" he shouted. "We're under attack!"

The small army of knights all reacted immediately to his words, trained to instinctively draw their swords at the first sign of a threat. They all rushed towards and past him, and he came to a stop as the sound of swords clanging reached his ears. He quickly scanned the crowd of people for Arthur. The King was in the front lines - _of course_ , Merlin thought with an internal eye roll - and his servant hurried to his side. Merlin stood a few steps behind him, ready to interfere, should he have to.

There was a sudden tickling feeling at the back of his neck, and he unconsciously cracked it, before he was overtaken with a foreboding feeling. Filled with dread, he turned slowly to look behind him, and his heart dropped. They were surrounded.

"Arthur," he called out. Something in his voice must've made the King listen, instead of dismissing him as usual, because Arthur turned his head in the middle of a fight and his eyes immediately widened as he saw what Merlin had noticed.

"Guard your flank!" Arthur ordered his men, sounding every bit like the King that he was.

Some of the knights turned and went to meet the surrounding attackers, but Merlin could tell that even though they seemed to have almost even numbers, they were surrounded and therefore strategically worse off.

And besides; the other side wasn't playing fair. As Merlin looked closer, he realized that their opposers must be using magic to make themselves stronger and faster, as well as to make the weapons fly out of the knights' hands. The young warlock noticed with despair that several knights of Camelot had already been dropped to the ground, bleeding severely.

But then, the enemy seemed to switch tactics. Instead of using their advantage to kill the unarmed knights, they chose to turn them around and place a knife to their throats. Hostages, Merlin thought darkly.

"Give it up, Arthur Pendragon," echoed a loud voice through the clearing. "You are outnumbered, and outskilled."

Arthur, his hair damp with sweat, snorted loudly at that. "Only because you aren't playing fair," he growled. He held his sword readily in front of him, though the fighting had stopped. "What do you want?"

"Give us the warlock they call Emrys," the voice demanded, yet Merlin couldn't tell which one of them was speaking. "Give him to us, and we will spare you."

Arthur stiffened visibly beside Merlin. "What do you want with him?"

"That is our business." An elderly woman with pale red hair stepped forward, and the voice came from her mouth. "Now, which one of you is Emrys?"

"He's not here," Arthur said sternly, his face a mask carved in stone.

"Do not lie!" She said sharply, her expression furious, and her eyes suddenly flashed with red. Merlin realized with a sinking feeling what and who they were. "We can feel his power amongst you," she continued, "though it is weakened."

She gave a snap of her fingers and Arthur's sword went flying out of his hands. Two of what seemed to be her men stepped forward and grabbed the King by the arms, and though Arthur struggled against them, he was no match for the supernatural strength of the Sidhe.

The woman's piercing pale-blue eyes suddenly shifted from the King to land on Merlin, and she looked intrigued. "It is you, isn't it? A servant, of all people..." she mumbled, tilting her head as she studied him.

Merlin glanced around anxiously and saw that all of the knights, including Arthur, had been captured. They were held in a ring around the young warlock, Arthur, and the lady who Merlin assumed to be the Sidhe elder.

The latter grabbed Merlin's face with her hand, turning his head to the sides as if inspecting him. "Yes," she said, seemingly talking to herself, "I can feel the power you eradiate. Yet you cannot use it." She tilted her head with mock sympathy. "How sad. How pathetic." She grinned, and then gestured toward Merlin. "Take him," she ordered. Two of the Sidhe moved forward to grab Merlin.

"Wait!" Arthur called out, struggling furiously against the men holding him. "What do you want with him?" One of his captors brought a dagger to his throat, which finally forced Arthur to stop trying to writhe out of their grip.

"They're Sidhe, Arthur," Merlin said, forcing his voice to remain calm. He kept his eyes fixed on the Sidhe elder. "I think we can both hazard a guess as to what they're going to do to me. They want Camelot on its knees, and the prophecy says that without me, you cannot bring Albion forth."

"Then kill me!" the King exclaimed, his tone desperate. "Why not kill me instead?"

Merlin shook his head. "The people— _your_ people, will not listen to whomever they put on the throne without your support, Arthur. They need you alive."

"I will never support them," Arthur growled. His eyes were shooting daggers at the Sidhe elder.

"We'll see," she simply said, and then gestured toward the Sidhe that had stepped forward. "Go on. Kill him."

Merlin took a step backward as they moved toward him, holding out his hand as if preparing to use his magic. "I can't let you do that," he said in a low voice.

The woman raised an eyebrow and snorted. "You wouldn't," she sneered. "You can't."

Merlin smacked his lips together. "See, that's where you're wrong. Though it might hurt me..." Merlin began, and his eyes flickered to Arthurs, seeking approval for what he was about to do. But the King's eyes widened with fear for his servant, and he shook his head ever so slightly, warning him not to. Yet Merlin knew what he had to do, so he looked back at the Sidhe elder. "... it is not impossible." In a heartbeat, he'd summoned his magic, and sent all of the Sidhe flying simultaneously through the air, seemingly just as easy as they had with the knights' swords.

The pain was instant. Merlin sank to his knees on the damp ground, pressing his hands to his head as his entire body burned like it was on fire. He tried to take deep breaths until the agonizing feeling finally started to fade away, leaving only an overwhelming weakness lingering in his limbs. He would've tilted over, if not for the fact that somebody was holding him up. As he regained his senses, he realized that there were a pair of hands on his shoulders, preventing him from falling over. Looking up, he saw that Arthur was crouching in front of him.

"Merlin," Arthur breathed. "You alright?"

The young warlock nodded, feeling too winded to reply.

Arthur returned the nod. "Listen, they're not dead. We have to get back."

"They'll... come for me," Merlin mumbled. "In Camelot."

"I don't care," Arthur said intently. "We'll get reinforcements. But right now, we need to get you out of here." The King pulled Merlin to his feet, slinging his arm across his shoulders.

"Arthur," Merlin protested, "wait." He tried to catch his breath. "I didn't... kill them... because Gaius can... he can bring them back. The humans. It's what- it's what that girl wanted... remember?"

Arthur closed his eyes briefly, seemingly reconsidering what to do. "Alright," he said finally. "We'll tie them up and come back for them later."

But the young warlock wasn't satisfied. "But, they have magic." He frowned. "If they wake up... they'll escape easily."

"Let's hope they don't." Arthur gave a gesture of resignation. "That's all we can do, Merlin."

"I can put a sleeping spell on them," Merlin suggested, though he was not even sure himself that he had the energy to do it.

Arthur shook his head. "No, Merlin. You're already about to fall over. You can't use more of your Magic."

No matter how much he disliked it, Merlin had to admit that the King was right. There was no way they could bring them all back to Camelot, and Merlin didn't have the energy to summon enough Magic for such a powerful spell. He simply had to trust that his first spell had been strong enough.

Arthur forced Merlin to sit down and rest while he and the knights bound up the Sidhe and got the injured or killed knights onto the horses backs. Then they header back toward Camelot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all! I'm back with another chapter!**

 **So sorry it took so long, I've been very busy. Do I still have some faithful readers of this story?**

 **Please leave a review telling me what you thought. Oh, and expect one more chapter! :)**

 **Disclaimer: Same as always.**

* * *

All that Merlin really needed after the whole ordeal was a good night's sleep. And he did sleep relatively well that night, knowing the injured knights were taken care of. Arthur and a couple of knights had rode back to the clearing where the Sidhe-possessed had attacked them and administered sleeping potions that Gaius had prepared. It would keep them asleep for about a day, Gaius estimated, which was long enough for them to recuperate before heading back to banish the Sidhe from their hosts's bodies. Gaius and Merlin knew from experience exactly what potion they could use to expel the Sidhe, and Gaius expected them to be ready come the morning.

Merlin woke early that morning to the sun filtering in through the small window in his room. He could tell by how low it was hanging in the sky that he'd awoken earlier than he had too - yet he didn't feel sleepy enough to go back to sleep.

Turning onto his side, he felt the consequences of using his magic to such extent the day before. His entire body was sore, his muscles aching as they would after Arthur used him for sword practice. Despite his body protesting, Merlin made his way out of bed. He had to get himself and the King ready before they could return to the clearing, and the young warlock was eager to save the victims of that village and reunite the woman who had warned them with her family. Above that, he was anxious to see if they could find out more about his deal with the Sidhe, and what their tire plans were to take over Camelot.

XXXXX

It was early midday when Arthur, Merlin and a couple of knights begun their journey toward the clearing. Their bags were packed with several bottles of the potion that would expel the Sidhe. What would happen after that, they were not sure.

"Can't believe Elena was a changeling," Arthur said, but then an expression of realization came upon his face. "Wait, actually I can. She was different by the time she was returning home."

"That's because Gaius and I managed to expel the Sidhe," Merlin said with a grin.

Arthur frowned. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. You're going to have to tell me everything you've secretly done for me one of these days, Merlin."

Somehow, the King managed to make such an innocent statement sound vaguely threatening, and Merlin felt unnerved for some reason.

It was afternoon when they finally reached the clearing. Merlin was relieved to find that the Sidhe were still asleep - a small part of him had been worried that something would go wrong.

The sleeping draught was still good for a few hours, which gave Merlin the opportunity to wake the Sidhe elder up using an antidote. She woke almost immediately, looking around the clearing with confusion and fear in her eyes. That fear quickly morphed into anger as her eyes fell upon Merlin, kneeling before her.

"Emrys," she hissed. "I see now that Morgana was right. You have a knack for thwarting our plans."

Merlin nodded. "And I am quite proud of those accomplishments."

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you're plotting against Camelot."

"And why would I tell you that?" She smirked.

"Because I might spare your life," Merlin offered, his expression emotionless.

The Sidhe elder seemed to ponder this for a second, weighing the pros and the cons. "It's not very complicated," she said finally. "We're going to take the throne."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Arthur said angrily. He stood behind Merlin, a hand placed on the hilt of his sword. "My people will never bow to your kind."

"They will," she said ominously, "once they've joined our ranks."

Merlin froze as he realized what that meant. The Sidhe would simply take over their bodies, like they had with the inhabitants of that village. Once Camelot and its forces were under their control, they could challenge the rest of the kingdoms. Merlin swallowed with difficulty.

"You'll never defeat my knights," Arthur persisted, pride shining through his eyes.

Before she could reply, Merlin interrupted the pointless discussion that would lead nowhere. "Tell me more about the deal I made with your people," he said.

She tilted her head. "What do you want to know?"

"What exactly are you getting out of it?"

She laughed coldly. "Without Emrys, Camelot is weaker."

Merlin sighed impatiently. "I meant, except for weakening me," he added, feeling as though a heavy stone settled in his stomach. This deal had weakened Camelot, and it was his responsibility.

She narrowed her eyes. "Every time you use you're magic, it is drained from you and transferred to us," she said simply, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "You'll get weaker every time. When it finally kills you, we'll have enough power to take Camelot." She looked at Arthur with a twinkle in her eyes. "Even defeat the mighty knights of Camelot."

Merlin was stunned at the revelation. Using his magic would eventually get him killed. And on top of that, he was giving it to the Sidhe, arming them in a war against Camelot. He cursed himself silently; of course they wouldn't the truthful. Deceit and treachery was in their nature. What had he expected? — He'd expected to give his life. His life, and no one else's. But now, all of Camelot was in danger. Distressed, he pressed his palms to his face, trying to take deep breaths.

A hand landed on his shoulder. "It's time to give this woman her body back," Arthur said, sounding stoic. Merlin could not fathom how the King managed to stay so calm.

Removing his hands and blinking away the tears that were building in his eyes, he nodded and reached for his bag. He fished out a bottle of the bright red potion that he and Gaius had used to expel the changeling from Elena.

The Sidhe elder pressed her lips together, refusing to drink. Merlin has expected this, however, and used his fingers to pinch her nose shut. Eventually, she would run out of air and have to open her mouth to breathe.

Her eyes didn't flicker away from Merlin's. She stared at him furiously, her eyes flashing red. Her face was slowly turning the same color. She began to struggle under his hand, but Merlin held fast.

"Open your mouth," he growled. "You don't want to die."

"Merlin," Arthur began as the Sidhe elder still did not open her mouth, and her face was now turning an alarming shade of purple.

Merlin ignored him. "I'll just pour the potion into your mouth when you pass out," he persisted.

She frowned, and then, finally, opened her mouth with a gasp for air. Merlin immediately placed the bottle in her mouth and emptied its contents into her throat. Grabbing her chin, he tilted her head upward so she could not let the liquid run out of her mouth. At last, she swallowed the potion.

"You can't win," she hissed. "We'll get your power soon, and then we'll take Camelot, and you can't stop us." She stared intensely at Merlin, her eyes cold and empty. "If you try to break your deal, Arthur will die, and Camelot will be ours anyway." With that, she burst out laughing. It was soon replaced by a strangled noise that left her throat, and she started convulsing. Then her face turned blue - the true color of the changelings - before a small, blue orbit of light escaped through her open mouth. It was the Sidhe that had possessed her.

Quickly, it flew away from them, disappearing between the trees. Merlin made no attempt to stop her. He'd promised to spare her life, and besides, she would just be replaced by another Sidhe elder who required the throne just as much.

Merlin sat down on the ground, exhausted. He did not quite know how to process everything he'd just heard. The Sidhe were gaining his power every time he used it, and it was killing him at the same time; this would allow them to easily take the throne, as Merlin would not be there to stop them; and if he tried to break this cursed deal, the King would die.

"Merlin?"

He looked up as he heard his name.

"Did you hear me?" Arthur said.

Merlin shook his head.

"I said, I think she's waking up."

Merlin turned his head to look at the woman tied to the tree. Everything about her expressions were different; even the way she held herself had changed. She was blinking rapidly, looking around confusedly. As she realized that she was bound, she started to panic.

"Whoa," Arthur said gently. "We're not the enemy. I'm going to untie you, all right? And then we'll explain everything."

Using the tip of his sword, he cut her restrains. Her arms now freed, she started rubbing her rope burned wrists, eyeing them warily. "Who are you?"

"I am Arthur Pendragon," Arthur said, his voice full of authority. "King of Camelot."

Her eyes widened. "You— what's going on? What happened?" Her breathing had sped up audibly. "How did I get here?"

"Try to calm down," Merlin said kindly. "It's a long story, and... it might not be easy to hear."

XXXXX

The returning journey to Camelot was long. After they'd expelled all of the Sidhe from the village people, they explained once and for all what had happened. Arthur reassured them that they were safe now, and that they could come with him to Camelot for shelter and food for the night. Then he would dispatch a band of knights that would escort them safely back to the village.

Those who were young and strong enough to walk followed them on foot, while the elderly sat on the back of the knights's horses. Completing the journey at walking instead of horse speed, it was well into the night before they arrived at Camelot.

Merlin has stayed "conspicuously quiet" - according to Arthur - for most of the journey. There was a lot to think about, and with his body and mind weakened he felt he could not quite process it all, and longed to talk to Gaius and make a plan. With a villager riding on the back of both Merlin and Arthur, the King did not seem to want to bring up the Sidhe's plans. Merlin could, however, feel him throwing glances at him from time to time. He did not like being the cause of Arthur's concern; he was supposed to protect the King, not make his job harder.

Gaius had been waiting up for him. When Merlin at last entered the physician's chambers, he was sat at a table reading a book under the flickering light of several candles. Gaius looked up, looking relieved to see him.

"All went well, I presume?" he said as Merlin slumped into the chair opposite him.

Merlin nodded, but his eyes were distracted. He sighed, leaning his chin against his hand. "There's a lot, Gaius. I... I've ruined everything."

Gaius felt a surge of sympathy for the boy. "I'm sure that's not true, Merlin."

Merlin shook his head. "The deal I made with the Sidhe..." he hesitated.

"Yes?" the elderly man said expectantly.

"Every time I use my magic, they are... absorbing my power." Merlin looked down at the table, not wanting to see his reaction.

"Merlin!" Gaius gasped. His tone was scolding.

The young warlock smacked his hand into the table. "I know! Okay? I know, Gaius. I made a mistake. And I— I can't break the deal, for Arthur will die if I try."

The physician was taken aback by his protégés obvious despair. Merlin, still not looking at him, continued, "And with me weakened, and them stronger, the throne will be theirs for the taking." He clasped his fingers together, holding them against his mouth.

Gaius said nothing for a moment. Finally, Merlin looked at him then, his eyes wide and glistening. "Gaius?" he said weakly, his expression vulnerable.

Gaius sighed. "Seems to me, you have but one choice. You need to get the sole rights to your magic back."

"But how?" Merlin held his hands out exasperatedly. "I didn't know when I made the deal, but Arthur will die if I break it."

"There is always a way, Merlin, you should know this by now," Gaius said calmly. "What were the exact words of the Sidhe with which you made the deal?"

Merlin closed his eyes, trying to recall. "He said... 'We ask but that a limit be put on your great power, so that shall you try to use it at a great extent, it will get you killed. Until such time, your magic is bound to us."

Gaius shook his head. "I can't believe you, Merlin."

"I had to save Arthur's life," Merlin defended fiercely. "My life — my magic — would be nothing if he died."

The elderly man's expression softened. "I know, Merlin. Often times, I just wish you'd have the urge to look out for yourself more."

Merlin was quiet at that. "So, you see, I can't break out of the agreement, until I die." Merlin's eyes widened suddenly. "Wait... that's it." A smile spread across his face, in complete contrast to his recent mood. "That's it, Gaius! All I have to do... is die."


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, they brought Arthur onto the plan. When Merlin had finished telling him about his idea, Arthur was staring at him at him as though he'd grown two heads. "That is the stupidest idea you've ever had, Merlin."

The young warlock frowned. "It's the only way."

Arthur shook his head. "No. There must be another way out of the deal."

"Not without risking your life!" Merlin exclaimed, frustrated; he'd explained this already.

" _Risking_ it," Arthur agreed. "While your plan involves you _certainly_ dying."

Merlin crossed his arms. "I am just a servant. You are the King, Arthur."

"What about all that, about you and me being destined to create Albion? Can't do that without you, can I!" For the first time, Arthur sounded angry.

Merlin was taken aback by his sudden rage. "I'm not planning to stay dead," he muttered.

Arthur crossed his arms. "I don't like it."

"Arthur, please," Merlin said calmly. "I caused this upon us when I made that deal. If anyone has to pay to make it right, it is me."

"You made that deal, to save my life," Arthur said sternly. "Really, I am not even supposed to be here."

"I've made up my mind, Arthur," Merlin said simply. "I know that I am still your servant, but you can't stop me this time."

Arthur looked exasperated, and he looked to Gaius, his eyes silently asking the old man for support.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Gaius said. "Once Merlin has made up his mind, I fear there's not much I can do."

"No," Arthur muttered. "No, he never does as he's told, does he."

It wasn't a question, but Merlin said, "No, I don't," with a grin.

Arthur, who didn't seem to find any humour in this situation, sighed and turned to Gaius again. "How safe will it be? I mean, considering the circumstances."

"Well, what Merlin is going to attempt is of course very dangerous," Gaius explained. "We are dealing with Sidhe magic, and tricking that folk is not an easy feat."

Arthur threw his hands out. "There you go."

"I don't just mean for Merlin, Arthur. It will be dangerous for you too. Merlin might've found a way out of the deal that won't kill you, but we can't be sure until it's actually done. If Merlin comes back to life and the deal is still on... you could die."

Merlin folds his arms. "That's why Gaius will be by your side, in case anything happens."

"He'll — what are you — surely he should be by _your_ side? You're the one that's dying."

"I will have... other help," Merlin replied evasively.

Arthur looked at him. "You mean..." he sighed. "You mean magic?"

Merlin nodded. "I'll do it outside of the kingdom," he reassured Arthur. "The sorcerer won't enter it."

There was a battle of wills occurring behind Arthur's eyes. "No," he said finally. "It will be safer for you if it takes place inside Camelot. I'll arrange a reclused area for you." He opened his mouth as if to say something more, but closed it again.

"Sire?" Merlin asked.

Arthur looked between him and Gaius. "The sorcerer... you're trusting him with your secret? And the knowledge of your deal with the Sidhe?"

"Yes." Merlin didn't hesitate. "He owes Gaius his life. He won't betray us."

Arthur gave him a nod. "Gaius?"

"Merlin is right, Sire," the physician agreed. "I believe he will help us."

Merlin looked to Arthur, who was biting his lip. "When?" the King finally asked.

"Tomorrow, at dawn," Merlin proposed, "when the city is sleeping."

"Best to do it as soon as possible, Sire," Gaius said. "The Sidhe are coming."

XXXX

This was it. Merlin was nervous; he had pulled loads of dangerous stunts in his life, but he'd never actually died before.

He was at the meeting spot, and so was the sorcerer. He'd agreed to come into Camelot as long as Merlin escorted him to the meeting place; he'd refused a knight escort.

Gaius has Arthur had reluctantly left the room. It was dangerous for anyone but a sorcerer to be in there while he used his magic to such extents. Besides, it could take a while, and the King had other important things to see to.

Earlier that morning Merlin had consumed the potion that the sorcerer would activate, which would help the sorcerer heal and bring him back to life. It would preserve his life force even when his body died. By now, it would've settled into his very blood. The young warlock could feel it, too; like a fire burning in his veins, making it difficult for him to stand still.

"Have you prepared your mind?" The sorcerer asked him. He was younger than Gaius, but his coordination seemed a lot poorer.

Merlin nodded.

"You may begin," the elder one of them allowed.

Merlin simply nodded again. Balling his hands into fists, his head lowered, he started chanting. Soon, his eyes began to glow a fiery yellow; while it usually just flashed by, this time, the glow remained. As he kept chanting, things begin to act up in the room. It was empty, except for a single broomstick, as well as dirt and leaves on the ground. These were lifted by his magic, flying around the room; around Merlin. The broomstick shook as if it wanted to take off too.

The cost of using is magic soon made itself aware. The pain was blinding, coursing through his body. Yet he gritted his teeth and kept going. The agony was confirmation that it was working.

The sorcerer raised his arms as the broomstick was lifted off the ground and smashed into the wall; he was prepared to protect himself for the massive energy surge.

Merlin was still chanting. His knees felt weak, his limbs were burning, and he didn't know for how much longer he could hold out. Exhausting yourself to the point of Death was not an easy feat, Merlin would come to learn.

"Keep going!" the sorcerer shouted. "You're almost there."

Merlin went to his knees, but gritted his teeth, and kept chanting the words. The very walls of the room, despite being made of solid stone, started to tremble, like it would when the earth quaked.

All Merlin knew was pain. He could not see, merely hear the storm that he was causing. He couldn't feel his arms or his legs. He didn't know if he was still upright. He kept chanting until he could not tell wether the words were still coming out of his mouth.

The sudden quiet came first. Soon followed the darkness.

XXXXX

Arthur was trying to listen to the briefing, but his mind was distracted. There was sorcery going on under his very roof at this moment; and Merlin was dying.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure that'll be fine," he said to someone who asked him a question he did not remember. To another, he said, "I trust Gaius to answer that question to your satisfaction."

Suddenly, the walls of the castle trembled slightly. Most assumed strong winds, perhaps even a minor earthquake, but Gaius and Arthur exchanges glances. They knew what had just happen on the outskirts of the castle.

The meeting dragged on. Arthur grew not only worried, but bored. He wanted to leave and check on Merlin, to see if everything went according to plan. He could feel Gaius watching him closely, in case he was to drop dead. But nothing happened.

Until the doors swung open. A man with gray hair and gray robes waltzed in, stumbling slightly as he approached.

"My Lord, I bring you a sorcerer!" he exclaimed. "I witnessed him using magic with my very eyes."

Behind him appeared two knights, and they were carrying a body, dressed in a red shirt and brown jacket, with a blue handkerchief around the neck.

Merlin.

The knights put him down before the King's feet. Arthur's heart was beating fast and hard. He swallowed harshly, staring at Gaius. The physician knelt beside Merlin, checking for his pulse. The world tilted as Gaius shook his head.

"He's dead." The older man's voice was filled with grief and disbelief.

"He's a warlock," the gray clad man insisted. "He dropped dead before my feet. Heart probably couldn't take all the magic. I was trying to tell him, I was, that sorcery is forbidden in Camelot. E would no listen, Sire, but karma took him, sure did. I brought him to you, my Lord, anything to serve my King."

"He was my servant." Arthur's voice broke, as he looked down at Merlin's pale face. "A trustee." He cleared his voice, trying to collect himself. "Thank you for your service. You will be rewarded. Now, I— this meeting is over. Leave us."

The room soon emptied upon his orders. Only Gaius remained.

"Is he—" Arthur couldn't bring himself to ask the question. "Is he really—"

Gaius pressed his lips together, his wide eyes glistening. "He's dead, Sire."

* * *

 **Sorry for this being a shorter chapter, I'm just powering through trying to finish this story for you all xD**

 **Also: how's that for a cliffhanger!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Back with another chapter! Sorry it took so long, I was on vacay!**

 **Thank you everyone for your LOVELY reviews. They keep me going.**

 **Here's the next part for you all! I think after this there will only be 1 more chapter.**

 **Thank you everyone for reading.**

* * *

The people expect the sorcerer's body to be burned. Arthur had managed to keep the fact that it was Merlin from the people - the knights knew, though.

Arthur couldn't bear to go through with it. Gaius had said — he'd said it might still be possible to bring him back. The potion was still in his body; however, growing fainter by the hour. The less of it in his system, the harder it would be to bring him back. And they needed a sorcerer.

Gaius had made a suggestion, but Arthur hadn't made up his mind yet. The last one had betrayed them, despite Gaius's reassurances.

The king was sitting at the table in his chambers, where's he'd been since he found out the plan had failed. Merlin's body lay on his bed, and Gaius was tending to him. Arthur couldn't help but think that what they needed to solve this was Merlin. He always managed to come up with a plan - not to mention, with his great power as Emrys, he could probably bring a person back to life —

Arthur startled. His mind had unconsciously made the connection. What they needed to bring Merlin back was someone with a power as great as his.

And they knew exactly who had gotten that power.

"The Sidhe," Arthur breathed, and got to his feet so fast that his chair fell over. "Gaius, the Sidhe have his power!"

"I know, Sire," Gaius said sadly. "That seems to be the problem."

"No, we need _his power_ to bring him back to life. And the Sidhe have it! They can do it!"

Gaius raised his eyebrows. "I fear they will never help us."

"The Sidhe elder won't," Arthur agreed. "But a subordinate might, at the right price."

Gaius frowned. "I know the Sidhe. They will not betray their own kind, not even for the right price. If they bring Emrys back, they'll lose this war."

"So then we won't tell the subordinate that Merlin will regain his powers," Arthur proposed. "We'll trick him into thinking they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by bringing him back.

Gaius looked stern. "And what is it that you plan to offer them?"

Arthur took a deep breath. "The throne."

XXXXX

Getting into contact with the Sidhe had not been easy. Fortunately, Gaius knew a way and a place to summon a Sidhe; by a certain lake.

The Sidhe that they summoned had been smug, but easily fooled. He was clearly not high in the ranks. But that did not matter, for all of the Sidhe now shared Merlin's power.

That night, Arthur and Gaius brought Merlin's body to the lake, as agreed. Arthur was on edge; he'd been betrayed too many times, and this was Merlin's last chance.

The little blue ball do light that was the Sidhe hovered over Merlin's pale face for a moment. It hummed, and said in its small voice, "Very weak. Much power required."

"Less talking, more reviving," Arthur said grimly, his hand resting on his sword.

The Sidhe merely laughed, but the light that he eradicated grew stronger, coloring their faces an eerie blue, and then, to Arthur's disbelief; Merlin gasped. He licked his blue lips, which were already getting back their normal color.

He sat up slowly, looking around dazedly. His eyes fell upon Arthur. "Did it... did it work?" he asked weakly.

Arthur couldn't help but smile. "Welcome back."

"How are you feeling?" Gaius asked.

Merlin shrugged. "Like death." He gave them a weak grin.

Arthur laughed, but his eyes were somber, earnest. "Glad to see you're back, Merlin."

Merlin tilted his head at the sudden affection. "How long was I gone?" And, looking around, "How did I get here?"

"It's a long story," Arthur said. "Let's eat you back to the castle." He looked pointedly at Gaius, who nodded.

"Indeed, Sire," the old man said. He looked happy, his tired eyes shining once more. Arthur did not know if his heart could've taken losing Merlin.

"Can you stand?" Arthur asked the young warlock, who nodded determinedly.

Gaius and Arthur each grabbed one of Merlin's arms and helped him get to his feet. He swayed for a moment, but seemed strong enough. "Wait, Arthur, what happened?" Merlin asked, blinking as though he had difficulty seeing clearly. "Last I remember— I was with the warlock, and... it worked, I spent all my magic — did he not bring me back?"

Arthur looked grim. "No, he did not. He brought you to me, revealing you as a sorcerer. He was seeking a reward."

Merlin frowned, looking at Gaius. "But, Gaius, you were so sure..."

"I don't know what happened, Merlin," Gaius said. "I am ashamed. I was certain that we could trust him."

"It's not your fault, Gaius." Merlin paused, the cogwheels spinning in his head. "So... then, how am I alive?" he finally asked. He looked at Arthur, and there was something in his eyes, as if he knew that Arthur had done something stupid.

"I have a plan," Arthur said sternly. "I'll tell you as soon was we return to the safety of the castle."

" _Don't forget our deal._ " The cold voice of the Sidhe echoed through the clearing. Arthur flinched; he'd forgotten about the presence of the tiny blue light.

Arthur clenched his teeth. "I haven't. It will be honored."

"What?" Merlin exclaimed, and his eyes widened. "Arthur, what did you do?"

XXXXX

Later that evening, they were all gathered in the throne room. Merlin was pacing behind the throne, upon which Arthur sat, tapping his fingers against each other. Guinevere sat next to him, her head held high. She had not approved of the plan, although was glad to see Arthur and Merlin alive and well after everything.

The knights were there too, as was the council. Most of them did not know what was waiting. Arthur had spent most of his time between reviving Merlin and this moment figuring out what to say to them; how to explain what he'd given up to get Merlin back. And he could not tell them too much without revealing the plan to the Sidhe in the room.

The Sidhe elder had sent her people first. They wore human bodies; where they came from, Arthur did not want to know. Now, they were just waiting for her to appear.

"Arthur, don't do this," Merlin asked for the second time. "You don't have to do this."

"I made a deal, Merlin," Arthur said patiently.

"You don't have to uphold it. They didn't when it came to my deal. They aren't honorable, they will trick you—"

"So that means I shouldn't be honorable either?" Arthur interrupted. "I should set an example of deceit before my people?"

Merlin was at a loss. "Of course not, Sire," he said with a sigh. "But this is the _throne_ , Arthur. Your kingdom. Even with my powers back, this is a gamble—"

"I know, Merlin." Arthur sounded tense. "Now shut up."

The doors to the room swung open. In waltzed three hooded figures. The middle one, wearing a navy blue, took off her coat. Her hair was a pale blonde, falling in waves over her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark blue, a sharp contrast against her porcelain skin. She seemed young, but Merlin and Arthur knew that the creature living inside the body was far older.

"Arthur Pendragon," she said, and when she spoke, her voice echoed powerfully through the room. "We have come to see that you uphold your end of the deal."

Arthur rose from his throne. "I am prepared to do so." He turned to the rest of the room. "I am sure this will seem sudden and... inexplicable to most of you. But I had to make a decision with what's best for Camelot in mind." The King took a deep breath. "I, and Queen Guinevere, have agreed to relinquish the throne to the Sidhe elder."

A gasp went through the room. Merlin pressed his forehead to the cold stone wall, trying to remain calm.

"I have done so to keep my people safe," Arthur continued. "All I ask, for now, is that you trust me, as your King. This is for the greater good."

Most of the mouths in the room hung open. The knights seemed rebellious, approaching Arthur, but the King merely held up his hand. "This is final. Arguing won't do any good."

He took Guinevere's hand and escorted her down the stairs. The Sidhe elders moved towards them, and the pale blonde held out her hand. Arthur took it, guiding her into the throne. His jaw was set, his eyes cold, but his demeanor was determined, Kingly.

"I am your new Queen, Anastasia Elevuair," she said as she turned toward the crowd. "My coronation will be this night. I require everyone to attend." She turned her cold gaze upon Arthur, who had both Guinevere and Merlin by his side. "As for you, Arthur Pendragon, you and your queen are banished from Camelot. You will return upon penalty of your death." The knights drew their swords, but Anastasia merely held up her hand, and it was glowing blue. "Anyone who resists me will simply be made to comply," she said, smirking. "My people are known to be very... persuasive. Headstrong."


	11. Chapter 11 (LAST)

Merlin had refused to leave Arthur's side. Instead, he had followed him into banishment.

The Sidhe elder had simply laughed at him. "Foolish young man," she said with a sneer. "Because that's all you are now, isn't it? No power. Your life brought back to you, and you waste it on a rotten King. Suit yourself."

And that's how Merlin, Arthur and Guinevere had ended up on the road, with no horses, carrying their own bags.

"I told you this was a bad plan," Merlin muttered as he crouched on the ground, trying to make a fire. It wasn't easy; all of the wood in the forest was damp, as it had been raining.

"We'll take it back," Arthur said reassuringly. "I am sure of it. We have people on the inside who will remain loyal to me."

"Unless they place changelings inside them all," Merlin said, and his voice sounded tight.

Arthur shook his head. "You'll defeat their Elder, and the rest will follow." He hesitated. "You do have your powers back, right?"

"I... I don't know. I haven't tried yet." Merlin looked up at Arthur.

"Well, go ahead," he said impatiently.

Merlin nodded, and took a deep breath. He merely glanced at the fire; there was a flash of gold in his eyes to all who watched, and the damp logs caught fire.

Merlin gave a breathless laugh. There were tears in his eyes as he realized that no sharp pain followed; using his magic was as easy as breathing once more.

Guinevere smiled. "All this time, Merlin," she said warmly, "I knew there was something special about you. I'm glad you haven't changed."

Merlin smiled back at her, if a little sadly. "I wish I could've told you, Gwen," he said. "I never wanted to lie. To any of you," he added, looking up at Arthur.

"It is _all right,_ Merlin," Arthur said, as if he'd done it a dozen times. Which, by now, he probably had.

"We understand why you had to do it," Guinevere agreed.

Merlin nodded, looking down at the fire. "Magic's always been a part of me. I was born with it," he told them in a low voice. "When I came to Camelot and realized I couldn't use it — well, I wasn't sure it was worth it. I came here to find a place where I belonged, not where I had to lie to be myself." Merlin swallowed, and looked up at them with a bright smile, hope shining through his eyes. "And then I learned of my destiny. To serve _you_ , Arthur. To protect you and Camelot. That's why I have Magic. And I am sure... it will be worth all of the pain."

"And you have protected it well, old friend." Arthur squeezed Merlin's shoulder. He looked down at him with equal amounts of hope and pride. "Are you prepared to do it one more time?"

"Protect Camelot?" Merlin nodded determinedly. "Always."

"You're a brave man, Merlin," Arthur said. "I have not known, and I have not treated you as you deserved. Yet you've never failed in saving me and the kingdom. I am not sure I am deserving of a friend as loyal as you. But I can only hope to change, as you have already shown me that I can."

Merlin nodded. "I believe we're both very different from when we first met," the young warlock said. "You are a great King. I am proud to be by your side."

"And you _are_ a good man, Arthur," Gwen agreed, taking her husband's hand. "You do deserve all of the loyalty that is given to you."

"Yes," Merlin continued, a grin playing across his lips. "You're not as much of an arrogant pompous dollop-head any longer."

Arthur laughed and shook his head. "Thank you both. I could not have made Camelot into what it is today without the two of you." His playful manner disappeared. "I want you to know that I will always value your opinions, as well as your company. No matter what happens to me tonight, you'll always have a place in Camelot."

"Knowing I have magic, I never thought I'd hear you say that," Merlin admitted. "I am eternally grateful to you, Arthur. And I will be by your side tonight, and I will make sure _nothing_ happens to you."

Arthur looked at him with pride again. "And I will be by yours. Now knowing everything you've done - how you've saved me countless of times - I am _certain_ you will defeat the Sidhe elder."

Merlin nodded. "We will retake Camelot."

"Or die trying," Guinevere agreed. And thus ensued the long-winded argument if Gwen was to join the fight.

XXXXX

They waited until the next sunrise to make their move. This gave them time to perfect the plan, as well as allowed them to get some much needed rest for the full night.

Merlin woke up nervous. Every cell in his body seemed to know what was coming, and the Magic was surging inside of him, as if telling him that it was ready.

This would not be an easy feat, Merlin knew. The Sidhe were powerful, and their magic was tricky.

After eating what little they had for breakfast, they began the journey back to the castle. They had not gone far; but simply made camp outside of the guards' patrol route.

Arthur had at last caved and let Guinevere come along. Their task was to pave the way for Merlin to get to the Sidhe elder and challenge her over the throne.

Merlin put a disguising spell upon them before entering the castle grounds, to ease their path to the throne room. Anyone who looked upon them would see them as somebody they did not know. This, however, would not allow them to get in unhindered. First, they encountered the guards at the gate. Merlin could sense that they were not Sidhe, and dropped the spell temporarily off of Arthur. At the sight of the King, the guards bowed and let them enter, and Merlin cloaked Arthur once more.

The guards at the door to the throne room were a different tale. Merlin could sense the power coming off of them; they were changelings, and powerful ones.

"What is your business here?" asked one of them.

"We are here to see the Sidhe elder," Merlin said.

"On what account?" The guard asked suspiciously.

"On account of us taking back Camelot."

The guards's eyes barely had time to widen before Merlin had sent them flying into the wall, effectively knocking them out.

"Let's do this," Arthur said, drawing his sword.

Together, he and Merlin pushes the doors open and stepped inside. The Sidhe, gathered around a long table, looked up confusedly, as did the Sidhe elder sitting upon the throne.

"Who are you?" She exclaimed, her voice high and cold.

Merlin dropped the disguising spell, and the Sidhe looked stunned. Their elder, on the other hand, looked outraged. "Knights! Seize them!" she ordered.

Guinevere and Arthur moves forward, swords drawn, to meet the enemy. But not all of the knights were lunging for them; some were staring at Arthur with awe on their faces. The Sidhe had not yet inhabited all of the knights. This was their greatest mistake, for the ones that weren't possessed by the changelings turned on the ones that were, helping their King in this fight. Though those who were loyal to Arthur were in majority, it was not an easy fight, for the Sidhe aimed to kill while Arthur and his knights did not want to take the lives of their hosts. Furthermore, the Sidhe has magic on their side.

But Merlin could not remain focused on that, because the Sidhe elder was staring at him with flames in her red eyes. _This_ was Merlin's battle.

The Sidhe elder, risen from her throne, grabbed her staff and pointed it at Merlin. A beam of fiery red shot at him, but he held up a hand, deflecting the fire before it could strike him.

Merlin pushed his hands out in front of him, and the Sidhe elder was pulled to the wall by an invisible force, and remained there, several feet into the air. She seemed surprised for a money; she had not figured out that he had all his magic back.

Before he could do anything else against her, his throat suddenly closed up. He felt as though a boot was crushing his windpipe. He fell to his knees, gasping, and clawed at his throat, but there was nothing there. Then his eyes fell upon the staff that Anastasia was still holding; the glaring red stone at the head of it was aimed at him.

Merlin made a sweeping motion with his hand, and the staff flew from the Sidhe elder's grasp. As it landed heavily on the floor, the red stone stopped glowing. It was useless without connection to the hand of a Sidhe.

Finally able to breathe again, Merlin coughed and got to his feet. But it had worked, for in his panic Merlin had not managed to keep Anastasia against the wall. She stood on the ground, and was heading straight for him. As she neared, blue light streamed from her open palms. Joining together, she sent it at him. Not quite knowing what he was doing - just that he had to do _something_ \- Merlin summoned his own Magic and sent a surge of it out through his hands. It appeared as a golden light, and it met the Sidhe's magic in the middle of the distance between them. Sparks of green flew about them where the two beams of magic met.

And she was strong. The force of the Sidhe elder's magic forced Merlin to lean into it so that he would not be knocked off his feet. He clenched his jaw, trying to summon enough magic to counter hers. It was exhausting. Merlin felt like he was running; he was growing breathless, and he knew that he couldn't stop.

Their powers were equal. The green ball of light were their powers met moved only slightly towards one of them, only to then move back toward the other. Neither made progress, and Merlin's arms were growing tired. He gritted his teeth. He needed some kind of advantage.

He looked around the room to see what he could use, but there was nothing. Nothing that would hurt the Sidhe without killing the host. Hopelessness was almost upon him; when his eyes fell upon Arthur. He was fighting beside Guinevere and his knights; sir Leon and Perceval were both there. They fought fiercely, hope burning behind their eyes. They believed they could win. They believed in Merlin.

And the young warlock suddenly realized what his advantage was. What he had that the Sidhe did not — something worth fighting for. The Sidhe has what they wanted, and it was someone else's throne. But they were fighting to take back what was theirs. They were fighting for the future of Albion. And above all, they were fighting for their love of Camelot. The Sidhe did not have this.

Those were the thoughts that fueled Merlin. They strengthened him, filled his body with nervous energy. And so he sent everything he had at the Sidhe elder. He thought of Arthur, and pushed even harder. He thought of Albion, the good that was in his future, and he gave even more. The green light shifted. It moved toward Anastasia. She looked horrified, but more so; surprised. She had underestimated him. That was her mistake.

With one last push, his magic connected with her body, and sent her flying. She landed hard on the floor and stayed there. Merlin knelt beside her. He held his palm over her chest, and felt for the being inside her. A blue light flowed beneath her skin. Merlin moves his hand, and the blue bulb followed. It appeared through her mouth and hung in the air, whimpering and twisting. The warlock slowly closed his hand into a fist, and the little blue creature shuddered before exploding into blue glowing fragments which dissolved quickly in the air.

The fighting around him had stopped moving. The Sidhe stared at him with a look on their faces as though their world had come crashing down.

Merlin rose. "The druids call me Emrys. I am sure you have heard that name before," he said loudly, his voice clear. "Your Sidhe elder underestimated me. That was her doom. I suggest you do not do the same." He picked up the dropped Sidhe staff and held it high. "Go back to your lake!" he called, and his words echoed through the hall. "And leave your host bodies behind, _alive_. If you do not, you will suffer the same fate as your elder. That is my promise."

For a moment the Sidhe were quiet, unmoving. Then, at once, blue bulbs of light soared out through their mouths, and the bodies dropped to the ground. The knights, Arthur and Guinevere immediately stayed checking to see that they were all alive. Arthur nodded at Merlin. The Sidhe has made the smart move. Merlin had counted on it; they may be slug, but their survival instincts were strong.

One by one, the unconscious started to wake up. Some cried as they realized they had their bodies back. The knights embraced each other.

And Arthur walked up to Merlin, putting away his sword. He smiled, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "You did well, Merlin," he said earnestly. "Thank you, my friend." And then he did the unexpected — he pulled Merlin into a hug. It was brief, but firm, and Merlin appreciated it.

Merlin grinned back at him. "You're welcome."

XXXXX

That evening, a coronation was held for the second time in three days. Though Arthur has never officially been de-crowned, they felt a gesture was necessary to signify that Arthur was back. This also allowed him to tell the people of his plan; that the only way to defeat the Sidhe was to allow them the throne. This had given their sorcerer - who very few knew was, in fact, Merlin - the power to defeat the elder. The coronation would give the people the reassurance that Arthur was, once more, strong as the King of Camelot.

It was a proper feast. Merlin enjoyed himself in a way he had never before. There was no threat to Camelot; he had defied Arthur's bane; Morgana was dead, and Merlin's destiny was very much alive. Albion was not only a distant dream, it was becoming reality. Merlin felt he could almost touch it. All that Arthur needed to make it come true, was time.

XXXx **30 YEARS LATER** xXXX

Merlin was buried in work once more — but he didn't mind it. People with Magic came to him to report themselves as sorcerers, which Merlin recorded on paper. This would allow them to practice sorcery in Albion — albeit, not all spells were allowed, and they were not to be used for the wrong purpose. These rules should be common sense to every inhabitant, Merlin thought; Magic should never be used to harm each other, nor to steal or other such purposes.

However, like in any society, there are criminals, as there was in Camelot before Magic was allowed. Merlin himself was leading the Seer Patrol; a band of sorcerers which investigates strange happenings to see if there was Magic involved. Should that be the case, they could use their own Magic to see what had happened and who had done it. That way, Magic could be used to fight those who used it for evil.

It was late, and it has been a long day. Before returning to his quarters, Merlin knocked on the King's door.

"Enter," Arthur called.

Merlin stepped inside. Arthur's face lit up.

"Merlin!" he said cheerfully. "How's your day been?"

"Oh, good, My Lord," Merlin replied. "No new crimes, but plenty of newly recorded sorcerers. There are farmers and blacksmiths among them. Albion is flourishing."

Arthur looked like he'd received the greatest compliment. "That's great to hear, my friend."

"What about your day, Sire?" Merlin asked politely.

"Oh, nothing too bad," Arthur said — Merlin could've guessed from his mood. "We're been discussing the new law for Magical creatures. Tomorrow we make a decision, and I would like you to be there."

Merlin raised brows. "Why?"

Arthur made a gesture like it was obvious. "Well, you've played a vital part in making Magic legal, which in turn has made Albion prosper. More than that, I value your opinion."

Merlin lowered his head in a small bow. "It would be my honor, Sire." After all these years, he had still not gotten used to being openly praised and valued by Arthur — sure, he still made jokes and liked to drive Merlin mad, it seemed — but it was a feeling that Merlin felt he'd never take for granted.

"Anything else before I retreat for the night, My Lord?" A small voice asked to Merlin's left. Theodore, Arthur's servant, had entered the room.

"No, that'll be all, Theodore," Arthur replies kindly. "Thank you."

Theodore blushed, made a hasty bow and disappears through the door as fast as he'd arrived.

"Good servants are hard to come by, huh?" Merlin teased, using Arthur's words from long ago.

Arthur shrugged and grin. "He's nothing like you, of course."

"Right, let me guess, he's not as clumsy and opinionated as I was?" Merlin said, going along with the joke.

"Right you are, Merlin," Arthur said with a laugh. Then his expression turned more somber and he continued, "But nor is he as witty or loyal. You were a good servant, Merlin, though I believe you were always destined to be more."

"Hmm, _you_ believe?" Merlin grinned. "Funny, a great dragon once told me the same thing."

Arthur smiled, a look in his eye as though the two of them shared something no one else knew about. A bond. A bond of loyalty, of sacrifice, and of friendship. "Good night, Merlin."

"Night, My Lord." With that, Merlin left the King's chambers.

Before returning to his chambers, however, he had one more stop to make.

He took the path that led him by the physician's chambers, where he and Gaius had once resided. Another physician lived here now, whom Merlin got along with well, though he was no Gaius, nor would he ever compare in the eyes of Merlin, Arthur, and many others.

By the wall, a few feet from the doors to the physician's chambers, stood a small table with two unlit but clearly often-used candles on it. Above it hung a small painting — not large, not very intricate, but all the more significant. It features and old man, with long hair and wrinkles around his eyes. He was giving all who walked past a great smile, an expression full of knowledge.

With a flick of his wrist, Merlin lit the two candles. One for each decade since he had passed away. They shone their warm light upon his face. Gaius.

Merlin stood there for but a moment. Gaius would not want him to dwell on the past. Especially not now, when he'd achieved what we was destined to do. When he'd made come true what Gaius had also fought so hard for. The time of Albion was here and now.

* * *

 **That was the last chapter you guys :( I'm kind of sad to see this story to an end. It's been really fun to write and the support has been incredible!**

 **Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It has meant a lot and I would now glad to make more Merlin stories in the future!**

 **Love, J**


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